Ten years in Equatoria; . s their right hip (held by their handunder the armpit), and herds of cows were on the road proceedingnorthwards I reached the square in front of the kings residence, and wastold by a hanassura^ that the Sovereign could not receive me at thatmoment as he was busy making preparations for the journey of hiswives and children towards Mruli, on account of the appearance ofa Waganda army on the borders. The long procession of largeand small caravans occupied three hours in issuing from the kingspalace, armed men preceding and following each section of it. - Inthe centre of
Ten years in Equatoria; . s their right hip (held by their handunder the armpit), and herds of cows were on the road proceedingnorthwards I reached the square in front of the kings residence, and wastold by a hanassura^ that the Sovereign could not receive me at thatmoment as he was busy making preparations for the journey of hiswives and children towards Mruli, on account of the appearance ofa Waganda army on the borders. The long procession of largeand small caravans occupied three hours in issuing from the kingspalace, armed men preceding and following each section of it. - Inthe centre of the column was a palanquin, made of ox hide, fixedon two poles, upon which one of the royal wives sat wrapped in abright coloured mantle of peculiar pattern, surrounded by thewomen of the household and by female slaves carrying provisionsand kitchen utensils ; some leading little children by the hand,or di-agging a dog or recalcitrant goat. It was a scene ofdeafening uproar; greetings and songs, confused beating of drums,. MOVING THE KINGS FAMILY. 279 shaking hands, and faces saddened by transitory weeping, that wassuddenly succeeded by the habitual smile. A crowd gathered at the kings door, and a cry of astonish-ment was uttered by everybody, as a woman, almost a shapelessmass of flesh, with immense limbs, and small eyes, sitting ona sort of sedan-chair, larger than the preceding one, andsupported by stouter poles, was being carried across the royalthreshold by four stalwart men. She was one of King Chuasobese women. In the Courts at Uganda and Unyoro, the possession of obese^vives is considered a thing worthy of the royal splendour. Sucha luxury is considered as the emblem of wealth and as of extra-ordinary comeliness, for the possession of whom the monarch isparticularly ambitious and greatly envied. This corpulency isattained by a special diet, regularly administered both as regardstime and quantity. The accumulation of fat gradually proceedsso as to render the person unabl
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublisherlondonfwarneandco
