He assured me that he had thus paid me such a compliment as nobody else had ever obtained, since the Waganda are very jealous of one another--so much so, that any one would be killed if found starring upon a woman even in the highways.

I asked him what use he had for so many women?
To which he replied, "None whatever; the king gives them to us to keep up our rank, sometimes as many as one hundred together, and we either turn them into wives, or make servants of them, as we please." Just then I heard that Mkuenda, the queen's woman-keeper, was outside waiting for me, but dared not come in, because Congow's women were all out; so I asked leave to go home to breakfast, much to the surprise of Congow, who thought I was his guest for the whole day.

It is considered very indecorous in Uganda to call upon two persons in one day, though even the king or the queen should be one of them.

Then, as there was no help for it--Congow could not detain me when hungry--he showed me a little boy, the only child he had, and said, with much fatherly pride, "Both the king and queen have called on me to see this fine little fellow"; and we parted to meet again some other day.

Outside his gate I found Mkuenda, who said the queen had sent him to invite "her son" to bring her some stomach medicine in the morning, and come to have a chat with her.