The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-08-10

KING MTESA.

London Times.
The death of King Miesa, of Ungsnds, re-
moves an African potentats Of whom the
record of travellers In the Dark Continent
gives rather a picturesque glimpse than q
complete and satisfying description. The
most striking account Of this parsonage Is
certainly that given By given BY NJ. Lnant.
q lieu, enant of Gordon Pashs, by whom he
was Sc ut to that Princes capital on the shore
of Lase Victoria. The following is q sum-
mary of what he wrote:
Mite sa's chair used to be placed on leop-
ards skin in the audience hall, so that tho
hind eisws served Is . kind of footstool,
while the tail stretched along the floor In
front of him. A number of charms and a
large tusk were piled up in . heap beside
him, and bis Grand Vizier and other cour.
tiers were constantly employed In "smooth-
Ing down tho creases IN his trousers"-A
unique and, perhaps, the strangest mode Of
expressing complete servility ever devised by
oarbarous dcspot. Another traveller, Col.
Long, of the Khedivial army, brought back
such . favorable description of Mtesa, NJ
though he only saw him once, that Ismail
wished to send him . magnificent carriage
which General Gordon, with his usual good
sense, intercepted en- route. The late Khe-
dive also sent two sheikhs to convert Mtesa
to Mohammedanism; but they do not seem
to have had much success, IS he was strongly
opposed TO the doctrines, or more probably
to the policy, of Islam. He described him
self in letter to Gordon Pasha as "the son
of Suna, King of Uganda" and he also said
that he "wanted to be good friends with the
English"
After this letter, introducing himself as IL
were, he showed every desire to keep on am.
icable terms with Egypt, and those travellers
and missionaries who reached his state were
generally we'll treated by him. His later
correspondence consisted principally Of re-
quests for the articles Of Europe which had
either caught his fancy or seemed most suit
able to his wants. A looking glass, gold and
silver lace, stamp with bis name on 1t, and
some gold and silver coins, such as sover.
eigns, napoleons, and dollars, he asked for
repeatedly, and generally managed to obtain
He even sent some of the watches he had
received as presents to Europe to be mend
ed, and showed in many other little
ways his desire to learn more of the great
world he had heard Of In regions mildey
than his torrid kingdom round lakes Albert
and Victoria, and to establish some friendly
relations with the Europeans who had
reached his territory in their search for the
sources of the Nile. One incident in con-
nection with his government has been pre-
served, and as it throws some light on the
mode of waging war In that part of Africa,
it may be quoted. An island called Sssse
was the particular object of his ambition
but its Inhabitants preferred their liberty,
and, being expert divers, whenever Mtesa's
war canoes approached they dived under
meath them, and cutting the withes sank
boats and crews together. As Mtesa was
"corpulent and consumptive " ten years ago,
bis death is not surprising, and the cessation
of Egyptian activity in the equatorial region
will leave his people free to arrange the
question of succession without any foreign
interference.