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Barbarous Punishments
EMARKABLE AC- orders had been obeyed.
The urchin counts are given by came back grinning with delight at the travellers in Africa feat which he had achieved, just like a of Mtesa, the re- school-boy who has shot his first sparrow, nowned King of and handed back the rifle to his master, Uganda. No mon- As to the unfortunate man who was fated arch in the whole to be the target, nothing was heard about Dark Continent is him, the murder of a man being far too more notorious than he. One common an incident to attract notice. punishment to which Mtesa On one occasion, when Mtesa and his seems to have been rather par. wives were on a pleasure excursion, one tial was the gradual dismem- of the favorites, a singularly good-lookberment of the criminal for the ing woman, plucked a fruit, and offered sake of feeding his pet vultures; it to the king, evidently intending to and although on some occasions please him. Instead of taking it as inhe ordered them to be killed be- tended, he flew into a violent passion, fore they were dismembered, he declared that it was the first time that a sometimes omitted that precaution, and woman had ever dared to offer him anythe wretched beings were slowly cut to thing, and ordered the pages to lead her pieces with grass blades, as it is against etiquette to use knives for this purpose. off to execution.
These words were no sooner uttered by Here, as in many other countries, hu- the king than the whole bevy of pages man life, that of the king excepted, is slipped their cord turbans from their not of the least value. On one occasion, heads, and rushed like a pack of Cupid Mtesa received a new rifle, with which beagles upon the fairy queen, who, indighe was much pleased. After examining nant at the little urchins daring to touch it for some time, he loaded it, handed it her majesty, remonstrated with the king, to one of his pages, and told him to go and tried to beat them off like flies, but and shoot somebody in the outer court. was soon captured, overcome and dragged The page, a mere boy, took the rifle, went away, crying for help and protection, into the court, and in a moment the re- whilst Lubuga, the pet sister, and all the port of the rifle showed that the king's other women clasped the king by his legs, and, kneeling, implored forgiveness for caprice proved the friend of both. The their sister. The more they craved for novelty of interference made him smile, mercy, the more brutal he became, till at last he took a heavy stick and began to belabor the poor victim on the head. and the woman was instantly released."
On another occasion, when Mtesa had been out shooting, Captain Grant asked what sport he had enjoyed. The un expected answer was that game had been "Hitherto," says Speke, who relates the incident, " I had been extremely careful not to interfere with any of the king's very scarce, but that he had shot a good acts of arbitrary cruelty, knowing that many men instead. Beside the pages
