Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29
MILLION UGANDANS
SENT A MESSAGE TO THE

ness in an excellent humor. and I asked
him TO step outside in the sun and have
his photograph taken. He gladly COM
piled. and Jack photographed the little
king and myself. standing together.
Shortly after this We again shook hands
AMI then said farewell. AS We were
leaving the king asked US IL we would
not like to listen to his royal band and
upol' our saying yes he sent forth diTec-
tons that the court musicians were TO
give Us concert on our way out.
Leaving the palace, we then went 10
the drumhouses and other matched huts
which form the quarters OF the musicians.
The drumhouse looks like a great in
verted basket. 1t is about forty feet
In diameter and perhaps twenty feet
high at the cone. 1t is made OF thou
saEds OF reeds. so tied TO one another
that they go up to one center. forming
straw tent. with round rolls of reeds
running about II like ribs from bottom
to top. The roof is made of split canes.
each as fine a darning needle. In
this house half dozen men sat on the
ground and played upon pipes. Another
half dozen pounded on the great drums
with their hands, and at the back others
were dancing.
After the concert inside was ended
asked the musicians to bring their in
struments into the open. that | might
make a photograph. They did So and
at the same time the kings dancers
came out and cavorted around. hopping
higher and higher and swinging their
| legs this way and that to the pounding
| of the drum.
The chief music for the dancing was
made by the lead drummer an old ne
| gro. whose head was perfectly bald and
| whose ears had been cut of close. SO
| that nothing but the holes could be seen.
1 Remembering the remark of the tutor as
| to how the blind musician lost his eyes
| because King MwanZa did not like his
playing. l asked how the head drummer
| came to lose his ears. The reply was
| that they were cut off by orders OF this
boys grandfather, King Mutesa. 1t was
| hot day, and the drummer was taking
| bath in the king lake, when one ~
| the prfnceSses saw him and reported
| that she had seen naked man.
mar bathed in his special pond. or
whether he thought 1t disgracefu that
| the princess should see him in the water.
| do not know At any rate he was angry.
| and he ordered his executioners to cut of
| the mans ears punishment.
| Such things are not common since the
| British took hold. and at present the
! young king, even If he wished would not
be permitted to kill or MAIN his subjects.
| without cause
l understand that the Kabaka. as the
king is called is fond of his bands. He al
| ways has large retinue with him when
| he goes outside his palace grounds, and
the drummers march in front. yelling and
pounding while the people come for
miles to look at the sight. The drum
mers play very we'll They use the
hollow trunks OF a resonant tree with
skins over the ends. The drums are all
shaped like barrels or kettles. and are OF
different heights and sizes. Each has its
own note or pitch; and the musicians
sound the different notes. using a number
of drums, as our people do with the keys
of a piano. Some of the kings drums are
$50 years old. They are considered in
| valuable.
am told that this little king. notwith-
| standing the care with which he Is
watched and the respect with which his
people regard him. is good deal of Q
boy after ALL He is fond of sports. and
especially foot ball. He is good bicycle
rider and has a wheel which was made
for him in England. One of his greatest
joys is a little white pony. which he con-
siders the finest animal In the country.
} When he goes out upon 1t he puts on
riding trousers and leggings, and cuts a
gay figure as he dashes over the roads
anil about the ant hills His royal high
ness is seldom allowed to go far from
home. He has been to Entebbe. and has
seen the steamers which ply upon Lake
Victoria
4 AS it is now Dandi Chau has but little
to do with the government and, as have
said. this will be the case until he 10
eighteen years of age. He will than take
his place upon the throne as the real
ruler of the Baganda, and in connection
with his royal advisers will govern the
country. He will. however. always be
subject to the English officials. who are
the real governors and who will rule the
natives through him. This is the policy
of the British regards this colony.
They are trying to control it through tho
natives: and although they will fix the
taxes. 1t will be the king who will send
out their edicts and he and his chiefs
will make the collections.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.