The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-31
PRINCESS OF UGANDA.
Some Incidents of the Egyptian
Troubles i'm 1882.
RELATED BY COL. cHA,LIE.,oNc
How Little M'Tesa, who Ran Around
Naked, Became Graceful Young
Lady, Fond Of Red silk

which still lay half buried beneath the
debris and ashes OF the con fiagration of
1852.
was seated at the table d'hote of the
Hotel Canal de Suez when my attention
was attracted by an Arab bey, seated be-
side me who, in loud voice and for the
edihcatlon OF his fellow guests, was telling
the story of young and beauti-
ful woman who he said had sought
refuge, during the disorders OF the pre-
cedlng year, in his harem at Benha. a
town OF some Importance not far from
Cairo. THE princess" continued the
hey, claimed TO be the daughter of the
king of Uganda, a country situated az the
khat-el-lstlwa, the equator. where the
river Nile has its sources. The king con-
fded his daughter to white officer. who
had brought her with him to Cairo. placed
her IN convent. whence, after the flight
OF the Christians in 1882, she had gone to
Benha, and, seeking his protection, had
remained with his wives"
Such was the story told by the bey of
Benha, and that it interested me greatly
may be understood from the fact that /
had sought IN vain to learn of the where
abouts of M'Tesa. who had disappeared
about the time of the Instruction Where,
no one could tell, and I had con-
cluded that she had been kidnapped
and sold into slavery, and it was
not impossible, l thought as l listened.
that her purchaser may have been the
hey of Benha himself! When had re-
covered somewhat from my surprise l
turned to the speaker and said in Arabic:
1.-THE princess story is true Bey, I am
the officer who brought her to Cairo. but
she did not tell you that the khedive is
interested in her future and promised me
when the opportunity occurred to send
her back to her royal father and marry
her to some one of his officers who shall
represent Egypt as minister-resident at
the court of King M'Tesa. Promise me
that until then you will guard her
with every care, for if not l will
see to it that you shall be be-
headed for that part" 1t is scarcely
necessary to add that the hey of Benha
swore by the head of the prophet
and all the gods of the Orient, that he
would not only guard M'Tesa with jealous
care, but more, he would engage to feed
fifty princesses during his natural life
rather than risk a voyage to the Soudan,
the very name of which. as we know,
strikes chill to the timorous soul of the
fellah Egyptian.
The story of M'Tesa, Princess of Uganda,
mention of whom is made in the writer's
who entitled Central Africa; Naked
Truths of Naked People" is singular and
replete with romantic interest.
In 1574 the writer then an officer in the
Egyptian army detached as chief of staff
to General Gordon in the Soudan, was
charged by Ismail Pasha, khedive of
Egypt, TO undertake diplomatic mis-
sion to M'Tesa, king of Uganda for the
purpose of making a treaty with that
potent monarch, and thus anticipate the
Stanley expedition which Ismail shrewdly
concluded concealed British ambitions in
the Nile sources. 1t is no part of this
brief sketch to dwell upon the perils and
incidents of the journey south from Gin
doemo, performed by our party of five
myself, two soldiers, Said and Abd-el, and
two servants. nor to recount the daily oc-
currence of massacre and horrid brutali-
ties which marked our sojourn of thirty
days as the guest of the bloody-minded
M'Tesa. 1t is sufficient TO relate that the
coveted treaty by which king and country
were made subject to Egypt was con-
cluded in this interval. ten months
later, in April, 1879, the Stanley Herald
expedition reached Uganda. too late,
however, to unfurl the British fiag)
On the 10th of June, 1874, we babe adieu
TO king and court, and turned our faces
toward the Nile to return by the river, If
possible and by the discovery of the still
unknown waterway to the Nile sources,
and thus to our diplomatic laurels. On
the 14th of August We arrived at the Urm-
dogani, where we were to find boats for
the prospective navigation of the river.
1t was there that his Uganda majesty
sent me a present, which African etiquette
requires and which noblesse obliges the
acceptation. The present consisted of
eight females the youngest of whom,
about 10 years of age, being none other
than the daughter of the king-the
Princess of Uganda, already presented to
the reader. The dilemma in which this
unexpected courtesy of the king placed rs
was embarrassing in the extreme. We
were half-starved, without provisions, and
500 miles distant from Gindoemol To re-
fuse gift of this nature there is no greater
offense to majesty, and subjects the dis
carded creatures 70 certain death. said
proposed TO quietly distribute the seven
adults among the chiefs of the escort, the
princess, of course, must be kept, also a
small boy who had accompanied her as a
slave. The king, l was informed, had
added his daughter Ito my Uganda wives)
as sure means to secure performance OF
certa terms of our treaty to which he at
tached special Importance, to-wlti IAN
officer shall be sent to reside at the court
as kings councillor; four hkls or Mosem
priests shall be attached to the king to
teach him the principles of his recently
adopted faith; coach of state shall be
presented to his majesty"
Said successfully disposed of my I'm
ganda family, and much to their own
mind, for they were quite distracted at
the idea of quitting Uganda. Not so,
however the princess and her companions,
for they babbled and laughed at their
prospective Journey. M'Tesa and the boy
were entirely nude. but Abd-el, who was
something Of q tailor, aided by Said, soon
fashioned from my worn linen short waist
trousers. which added to their personal
appearance M'resa was quite tail for her
age and exceedingly slender, of bright
COTE color; she was, in fact, remarkable
COUNTERPART of King M'Tesa. Her eyes,
too. ike his. were of deep black color,
and when angered they burned and
gloyed with savage ferocIty. The periis
and hardships attending the descent
of the river. the discovery OF Lake
Ibrahim ana the desperate battle ana es-
cape of M'rooh nave been described at
length elsewhere. The following year
arrived in Cairo. whence later on was 20
nroceed in command of an expedition to
the Indian ocean and join hands with Cor
don, who had promised TO meet me IN
Uganda.
Princess M'Tesa was placed IN the con-
vent of the Bon Passeur IN cairo la care OF
Spnr Agatha. Ii vas my purpose to take
or send her back 10 her father when she
had received sufficient instruction. The
khedive. | have said, had promised TO
marry her TO an officer and send them as
ambassadors to the court OF his vassal
chief. What a surprise if the daughter
az her an,