The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-29

one else than the kabaka could step
on II.
Enter the King.
AS we waited the tutor went out.
little royal highness beside him. He
brought HIN UP to us. and as each OF
US was presented the king offered his
hand in timid way. motiontng US at
gave directions that his favorite} mu-
sician should come out and play for us.
This man Is Il famous blind negro. who
formed part of the court band dur
ing the times of the Mutesa and Mwan-
"a. He was grayhaired and old. and
was bare almost to the waist Hc sat
down cross-legged on the ground out
side the leopard skin and played beau
an interval in the audience asked the
kings tutor how the man became
blind. He replied that It was owing
to caprice of King Mwanza. One
day that king thought he played badly,
and as punishment he thereupon or
dered that his eyes be put out. This
was Immediately done. a
But to return to the king. During
the playing he sat in chair by my
side, and as the music went on had
a good chance to study him He is
slender. delicately formed boy of ten
or twelve years OF age. He looks like
Caucasian His skin is light brown.
his forehead high. and his lips are thin
His head was covered with a high red
fez cap. much like those used by the
soldiers of Egypt. His body was clad
in long white gown, which was fas-
| his feet. Over this he had on q gray
/ sack coat and vest. across the breast
of which was a heavy gold chain
| a Message to- All American Boys.
The little king has an. intelligent
! look, but is very modest and rather
diffident. He speaks broken English,
and he talked little with me In reply
| to my questions. Sd A.
| AT the close of our audience he
brought out his visitors book and
asked me to write my name in It.
did so, and at the same time handed
his flighness sheet of paper and
asked him If he would not send. by me,
| a line in his language to the boys of
\ the United States. told him that We
| had no kings in. our country. hut every.
ican prince and as big as any king
| upon earth. i said that there were
! some millions of boys of his size IN
our country. and that l knew they
| him. and especially SO II he would send
them a word of greeting.
This seemed to tickle the king. He
Laughed and said he would gladly
comply with my request He then and
\ there sat down and wrote out this mes
/ sNoN' " "1'S'i = >1'C % e SSiiAAic. -
/ reads:
"Noanyuse nyo okulamusa abalenzi
bona abomu United States.
"pAuD1 eva ;S7ei KABAKA." s.
i Translated, this is as follows:
II am glad to salute all the boys
who are in the United States.
/ II am
'DAUDI CHAU. the King"
Writing this letter put his royal
!shighness in an excellent humor. and
asked him to step outside in the sun
and have his photograph taken. He
/ gladly complied, and Jack photos
| graphed the little king and myself
standing together.
A Concert by the Royal Band.
I Shortly after this we again shook
4 hands and then said farewell. As we
! were leaving the king asked us If we
4 would not like to listen to his royal
i,band. and upon our saying yes he sent
I forth directions that the court musi-
4 clans We're to give us concert on
4 our way out.
Leaving the palace, we then went to
| the farmhouse and other matched
huts which form the quarters of the
musicians. The drumhouse looks like
/ a great inverted basket. 1t is about
1Eforty feet in diameter and perhaps
! twenty feet high at the cone. 1t lis
1 made of thousands of reeds, so tied
! to one another that they go up to
one centre, forming a straw tent, with
il5round rolls of reeds running about
/ 1t like the ribs from bottom to top.
/ The roof is made of split canes. each