Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-01-19
THE CAPITAL or UGANDA

Inn SAxAAAA VI O0ANOAs
portant empire, and has given that and
fascinating detail. The people Of Uganda
Africans. They arc not at all Ike tho
typical negroes Of the west coast and the
south. They are tall and finely formed,
have good heads and straight noses,
wear good clothes of cotton cloth, manu-
facture many articles Of use and beauty
and are brave and skillful in war. And
by steady conquest for three generations
they have established an empire cover
ing some 10000 square miles and con-
taining near 5000, 900 people. Tho
Ugandas are the ruling race; the Wasoga
and many other tribes are subject to
them. -.
suna, father of Mtessa, was of the third
generation Of conquering kings, and from
his last expedition against the Wasoga
he returned with 5000 female captives
and 5000 children. Not many men are
taken alive in these African wars. The
Uganda historians told Stanley of q line
Of thirty-five sovereigns, the last three
Of whom had extended their rule till
they became emperors instead of kings.
They also told of q wonderful missionary,
fairer Of face than themselves, who long
ago visited and taught them many valua-
bic truths; but their accounts wero Of
such nature that Stanley set down the
story a. Of kind with the legends OF
Nance Capao in Peru, Kadmus in
Greece, and the first great warrior
among the Aztecs. In short, Il was q
sort OF incarnation OF tho progress Of tho
people and tho empire.
Rubugn, the new capital Of the en-
pire (of which sketch e here prescnted),
where Stanley was royalty entertained
by Mtcsa, IL on the summit Of Q knoll
from which the slopes in all directions
arc thick set with bananas, sugar cane
and plantains. Hero Mtesa held his
royal court and gave audience to off,
cials and ambassadors in straw COW
cred hall, 90 feet long. 1S feet wide
intention OF Suna that his warlike
con Kajumba should succeed him; but
the chiefs, dreading the latter's furious
temper, deposed him and enthEoned
Mtesa, who was supposed to be Of o
milder temper. Once firm In power,
however, he slew all his brothers and the
most pretentious Of the chiefs, to provide
against o disputed succession. Soon af-
ter he was converted to Mohammedanisn
by the Arab missionary Muley bin
6alim, and as this caused him to abstain
from oil intoxicants he became much
more humane. He confided to Stanley,
however, that he was not altogether
satisfied with his new religion, and under
the latter's instructions he was nominally
converted to Christianity.
All this time the Mohammedans were
pushing their conquests, and after the
death Of Mtesa there was o great schism
In Uganda. Mwanga, the emperor, be-
gan BY being Ill tempered, and finally
became ferocious; distrusting his body
guard, he tried to have them massacred,
when they turned on him and made
Kiwewa emperor. The latter at once
adopted the policy Of Mtesa, appointed
Christians to tho principal Offices and de-
sired to establish trade and friendly rela-
tions with tho white men. On this the
Mohammedans, stirred up by tho Arabs,
revolted, slew many Of the Christians and
compelled all the missionaries to fly from
the country. Such are the incidents Of
this curious war Of races and religions In
equatorial Africa, Islamism and Chris,
tianity contending for tho trade and the
souls Of the blacEs.
Stanley thinks the Uganda region as
fertile as any on earth. The people say,
I'VE live In land of wine and butter,
milk and fullness," and their appearance
proves 1t. They are cleanly and modest,
have considerable skill and industry
enough for their needs, and with peace
full intercourse the trade Of the empire
would be very valuable. But the gov
ernment is thoroughly despotic, depend
ing entirely on the character OF the
monarch, and just at present tho Arabs
appear TO have the upper hand.