“Stamlee,” said Mtesa to me, as we parted, nearly two months after the massacre of the peace party, “say to the white people, when you write to them, that I am like a man sitting in darkness, or born blind, and that all I ask is that I may be taught how to see, and I shall continue a Christian while I live.” ----- # 19: So called after Colonel James Augustus Grant, the amiable and chivalrous companion of Speke. # 20: This custom of sending walking-sticks also obtains in Dahomey. # 21: The war-cries of the Waganda begin by shouting the full title of their respective chiefs, and end with the last syllables, thus:— “Mukavya, kavya, kavya!” “Chamburango, ango, ango!” “Mkwenda, kwenda, kwenda!” “Sekibobo, bobo, bobo!” “Kitunzi, tunzi, tunzi!” This perhaps explains why Speke spelt _thanks_ “N’yanzig,” for Waganda return thanks by first saying, “Twiyanzi-yanzi-yanzi,” and this, when repeated rapidly, sounds like “N’yanzig.” CHAPTER XIII. The war-drum beaten—The wizards play their part—In full war-paint— Bullets against spears—The Wavuma baulked—Mtesa’s fury—Victory or the stake!—Hard fighting—The captive chief: a struggle between the pagan and the Christian—A floating mystery—“Return, O spirit! the war is ended!”—The camp on fire: a race for life. _Sept. 14._—On the 14th of September the Emperor of Uganda decided to give battle to the Wavuma, who were daily becoming bolder and more boastful. In the morning, in accordance with Mtesa’s orders, forty Waganda canoes sallied out from the beach in front of our camps to Nakaranga Point, where they formed in line of battle before the causeway, with the sterns of their canoes fronting Ingira, and their bows towards Nakaranga Point. Mtesa was followed by about three-fourths of his army when he proceeded to the point to view the battle, and with him went the great war-drums, to the number of fifty or thereabouts, and fifes about a hundred, and a great number of men shaking gourds filled with pebbles, and the court criers and mad charmers against evil were not wanting to create din and noise, and celebrate victory. A hut of ample size had been erected on the mountain slope overlooking the strait, into which Mtesa and his favourite women retired. When the Emperor was seated, the “prophets of Baal,” or the priests or priestesses of the Muzimu, or witchcraft, came up, more than a hundred in number, and offered the charms to Mtesa one after another in a most tedious, ceremonious way, and to all of them Mtesa condescended to point his imperial forefinger.