TheAmbondalivefartotheN。W。；theirlanguage，theBonda，isthecommondialectinAngolaSekelenkehadfled，andwasnowlivingwithhisvillageasavassalofMasikoAsnoticesofsuchmenwillperhapsconveythebestideaofthestateoftheinhabitantstothereader，IshallhereafteralludetotheconductofSekelenke，whomIatpresentonlyintroduceSekelenkehadgonewithhisvillagerstohuntelephantsontherightbankoftheLeeba，andwasnowonhiswaybacktoMasikoHesentmeadishofboiledzebra’sflesh，andarequestthatIshouldlendhimacanoetoferryhiswivesandfamilyacrosstherivertothebankonwhichwewereencampedManyofSekelenke’speoplecametosalutethefirstwhitemantheyeverhadanopportunityofseeing；
butSekelenkehimselfdidnotcomenearWeheardhewasoffendedwithsomeofhispeopleforlettingmeknowhewasamongthecompanyHesaidthatIshouldbedispleasedwithhimfornotcomingandmakingsomepresent。
ThiswastheonlyinstanceinwhichIwasshunnedinthisquarter。
AsitwouldhavebeenimpolitictopassManenko，oranychief，withoutatleastshowingsomuchrespectastocallandexplaintheobjectsofourpassingthroughthecountry，wewaitedtwoentiredaysforthereturnofthemessengerstoManenko；andasIcouldnothurrymatters，Iwentintotheadjacentcountrytosearchformeatforthecamp。
Thecountryisfurnishedlargelywithforest，havingoccasionallyopenlawnscoveredwithgrass，notintuftsasinthesouth，butsocloselyplantedthatonecannotseethesoilWecameuponamanandhistwowivesandchildren，burningcoarserushesandthestalksoftsitla，growinginabrackishmarsh，inordertoextractakindofsaltfromtheashesTheymakeafunnelofbranchesoftrees，andlineitwithgrassrope，twistedrounduntilitis，asitwere，abeehive-roofinverted。
Theashesareputintowater，inacalabash，andthenitisallowedtopercolatethroughthesmallholeinthebottomandthroughthegrass。
Whenthiswaterisevaporatedinthesun，ityieldssufficientsalttoformarelishwithfoodThewomenandchildrenfledwithprecipitation，butwesatdownatadistance，andallowedthemantimetogaincourageenoughtospeakHe，however，trembledexcessivelyattheapparitionbeforehim；butwhenweexplainedthatourobjectwastohuntgame，andnotmen，hebecamecalm，andcalledbackhiswives。
Wesoonafterwardcametoanotherpartyonthesameerrandwithourselves。
Themanhadabowaboutsixfeetlong，andiron-headedarrowsaboutthirtyinchesinlength；hehadalsowoodenarrowsneatlybarbed，toshootincaseswherehemightnotbequitecertainofrecoveringthemagain。
Wesoonafterwardgotazebra，andgaveourhuntingacquaintancessuchaliberalsharethatwesoonbecamefriendsAllwhomwesawthatdaythencamewithustotheencampmenttobegalittlemeat；
andastheyhavesolittlesalt，Ihavenodoubttheyfeltgratefulforwhatwegave。
Sekelenkeandhispeople，twenty-fourinnumber，defiledpastourcampcarryinglargebundlesofdriedelephants’meatMostofthemcametosaygood-by，andSekelenkehimselfsenttosaythathehadgonetovisitawifelivinginthevillageofManenkoItwasamereAfricanmanoeuvretogaininformation，andnotcommithimselftoeitheronelineofactionoranotherwithrespecttoourvisitAshewasprobablyinthepartybeforeus，Irepliedthatitwasallright，andwhenmypeoplecameupfromMasikoIwouldgotomywifetoo。
Anotherzebracametoourcamp，and，aswehadfriendsnear，itwasshot。
Itwasthe`Equusmontanus’，thoughthecountryisperfectlyflat，andwasfinelymarkeddowntothefeet，asallthezebrasareintheseparts。
Toourfirstmessage，offeringavisitofexplanationtoManenko，wegotananswer，withabasketofmaniocroots，thatwemustremainwhereweweretillsheshouldvisitusHavingwaitedtwodaysalreadyforher，othermessengersarrivedwithordersformetocometoher。
Afterfourdaysofrainsandnegotiation，Ideclinedgoingatall，andproceededuptherivertothesmallstreamMakondolat13d23’12“S。，whichenterstheLeebafromtheeast，andisbetweentwentyandthirtyyardsbroad。
JANUARY1ST，1854Wehadheavyrainsalmosteveryday；indeed，therainyseasonhadfairlysetinBasketsofthepurplefruitcalledmawawerefrequentlybroughttousbythevillagers；notforsale，butfromabeliefthattheirchiefswouldbepleasedtohearthattheyhadtreateduswell；wegavethempiecesofmeatinreturn。
WhencrossingattheconfluenceoftheLeebaandMakondo，oneofmymenpickedupabitofasteelwatch-chainofEnglishmanufacture，andwewereinformedthatthiswasthespotwheretheMambaricrossincomingtoMasikoTheirvisitsexplainwhySekelenkekepthistuskssocarefullyTheseMambariareveryenterprisingmerchants：
whentheymeantotradewithatown，theydeliberatelybegintheaffairbybuildinghuts，asiftheyknewthatlittlebusinesscouldbetransactedwithoutaliberalallowanceoftimeforpalaverTheybringManchestergoodsintotheheartofAfrica；thesecottonprintslooksowonderfulthattheMakololocouldnotbelievethemtobetheworkofmortalhands。
OnquestioningtheMambaritheywereansweredthatEnglishmanufacturescameoutofthesea，andbeadsweregatheredonitsshore。
ToAfricansourcottonmillsarefairydreams“Howcantheironsspin，weave，andprintsobeautifully？”OurcountryislikewhatTaprobanewastoourancestorsastrangerealmoflight，whencecamethediamond，muslin，andpeacocks；anattemptatexplanationofourmanufacturesusuallyelicitstheexpression，“Trulyyearegods！”
WhenabouttoleavetheMakondo，oneofmymenhaddreamedthatMosantuwasshutupaprisonerinastockade：thisdreamdepressedthespiritsofthewholeparty，andwhenIcameoutofmylittletentinthemorning，theyweresittingthepicturesofabjectsorrowIaskedifweweretobeguidedbydreams，orbytheauthorityIderivedfromSekeletu，andorderedthemtoloadtheboatsatonce；theyseemedashamedtoconfesstheirfears；theMakololopickedupcourageandupbraidedtheothersforhavingsuchsuperstitiousviews，andsaidthiswasalwaystheirway；
ifevenacertainbirdcalledtothem，theywouldturnbackfromanenterprise，sayingitwasunluckyTheyenteredthecanoesatlast，andwerethebetterofalittlescoldingforbeinginclinedtoputdreamsbeforeauthorityItrainedallthemorning，butaboutelevenwereachedthevillageofSheakondo，onasmallstreamnamedLonkonye。
Wesentamessagetotheheadman，whosoonappearedwithtwowives，bearinghandsomepresentsofmanioc：SheakondocouldspeakthelanguageoftheBarotsewell，andseemedawestruckwhentoldsomeofthe“wordsofGod“Hemanifestednofear，alwaysspokefrankly，andwhenhemadeanasseveration，didsobysimplypointinguptotheskyabovehimTheBalondacultivatethemaniocorcassavaextensively；
alsodura，ground-nuts，beans，maize，sweetpotatoes，andyams，herecalled“lekoto“，butasyetweseeonlytheoutlyingvillages。
ThepeoplewhocamewithSheakondotoourbivouachadtheirteethfiledtoapointbywayofbeautifyingthem，thoughthosewhichwereleftuntouchedwerealwaysthewhitest；theyaregenerallytattooedinvariousparts，butchieflyontheabdomen：theskinisraisedinsmallelevatedcicatrices，eachnearlyhalfaninchlongandaquarterofaninchindiameter，sothatanumberofthemmayconstituteastar，orotherdevice。
Thedarkcoloroftheskinpreventsanycoloringmatterbeingdepositedinthesefigures，buttheylovemuchtohavethewholesurfaceoftheirbodiesanointedwithacomfortablevarnishofoilIntheirunassistedstatetheydependonsuppliesofoilfromthePalmaChristi，orcastor-oilplant，orfromvariousotheroliferousseeds，buttheyareallexcessivelyfondofclarifiedbutteroroxfatSheakondo’soldwifepresentedsomemaniocroots，andthenpolitelyrequestedtobeanointedwithbutter：asIhadbeenbountifullysuppliedbytheMakololo，Igaveherasmuchaswouldsuffice，andastheyhavelittleclothing，Icanreadilybelievethatshefelthercomfortgreatlyenhancedthereby。
Thefavoritewife，whowasalsopresent，wasequallyanxiousforbutter。
Shehadaprofusionofironringsonherankles，towhichwereattachedlittlepiecesofsheetiron，toenablehertomakeatinklingasshewalkedinhermincingAfricanstyle；thesamethingisthoughtprettybyourowndragoonsinwalkingjauntingly。
WehadsomuchrainandcloudthatIcouldnotgetasingleobservationforeitherlongitudeorlatitudeforafortnightYettheLeebadoesnotshowanygreatrise，noristhewaterintheleastdiscolored。
Itisslightlyblack，fromthenumberofmossyrillswhichfallintoit。
Ithasremarkablyfewbirdsandfish，whiletheLeeambyeswarmswithboth。
ItisnoticeablethatalligatorsherepossessmoreofthefearofmanthanintheLeeambyeTheBalondahavetaughtthem，bytheirpoisonedarrows，tokeepoutofsightWedidnotseeonebaskinginthesun。
TheBalondasetsomanylittletrapsforbirdsthatfewappear。
Iobserved，however，manytomenewsmallbirdsofsongonitsbanks。
Morerainhasbeenfallingintheeastthanhere，fortheLeeambyewasrisingfastandworkingagainstthesandybankssovigorouslythataslightyellowtingewasperceptibleinit。
Oneofourmenwasbittenbyanon-venomousserpent，andofcoursefeltnoharmTheBarotseconcludedthatthiswasowingtomanyofthembeingpresentandseeingit，asifthesightofhumaneyescoulddissolvethepoisonandactasacharm。
Onthe6thofJanuarywereachedthevillageofanotherfemalechief，namedNyamoana，whoissaidtobethemotherofManenko，andsisterofShinteorKabompo，thegreatestBalondachiefinthispartofthecountryHerpeoplehadbutrecentlycometothepresentlocality，andhaderectedonlytwentyhuts。
Herhusband，Samoana，wasclothedinakiltofgreenandredbaize，andwasarmedwithaspearandabroadswordofantiqueform，abouteighteenincheslongandthreebroadThechiefandherhusbandweresittingonskinsplacedinthemiddleofacirclethirtypacesindiameter，alittleraisedabovetheordinaryleveloftheground，andhavingatrenchrounditOutsidethetrenchsataboutahundredpersonsofallagesandbothsexesThemenwerewellarmedwithbows，arrows，spears，andbroadswordsBesidethehusbandsataratheragedwoman，havingabadoutwardsquintinthelefteyeWeputdownourarmsaboutfortyyardsoff，andIwalkeduptothecentreofthecircularbench，andsalutedhimintheusualwaybyclappingthehandstogetherintheirfashionHepointedtohiswife，asmuchastosay，thehonorbelongstoherIsalutedherinthesameway，andamathavingbeenbrought，Isquatteddowninfrontofthem。
Thetalkerwasthencalled，andIwasaskedwhowasmyspokesman。
HavingpointedtoKolimbota，whoknewtheirdialectbest，thepalaverbeganindueformIexplainedtherealobjectsIhadinview，withoutanyattempttomystifyorappearinanyothercharacterthanmyown，forIhavealwaysbeensatisfiedthat，eventhoughtherewerenootherconsiderations，thetruthfulwayofdealingwiththeuncivilizedisunquestionablythebestKolimbotarepeatedtoNyamoana’stalkerwhatIhadsaidtohimHedelivereditallverbatimtoherhusband，whorepeateditagaintoherItwasthusallrehearsedfourtimesover，inatoneloudenoughtobeheardbythewholepartyofauditors。
Theresponsecamebackbythesameroundaboutroute，beginningattheladytoherhusband，etc。
Afterexplanationsandre-explanations，IperceivedthatournewfriendsweremixingupmymessageofpeaceandfriendshipwithMakololoaffairs，andstatedthatitwasnotdeliveredontheauthorityofanyonelessthanthatoftheirCreator，andthatiftheMakololodidagainbreakHislawsandattacktheBalonda，theguiltwouldrestwiththeMakololoandnotwithmeThepalaverthencametoaclose。
Bywayofgainingtheirconfidence，Ishowedthemmyhair，whichisconsideredacuriosityinallthisregionTheysaid，“Isthathair？Itisthemaneofalion，andnothairatall。”
SomethoughtthatIhadmadeawigoflion’smane，astheysometimesdowithfibresofthe“ife“，anddyeitblack，andtwistitsoastoresembleamassoftheirownwoolIcouldnotreturnthejokebytellingthemthattheirswasnothair，butthewoolofsheep，fortheyhavenoneoftheseinthecountry；andeventhoughtheyhad，asHerodotusremarked，“theAfricansheepareclothedwithhair，andmen’sheadswithwool。”
SoIhadtobecontentwithassertingthatminewastherealoriginalhair，suchastheirswouldhavebeenhaditnotbeenscorchedandfrizzledbythesunInproofofwhatthesuncoulddo，Icomparedmyownbronzedfaceandhands，thenaboutthesameincomplexionasthelighter-coloredMakololo，withthewhiteskinofmychest。
Theyreadilybelievedthat，astheygonearlynakedandfullyexposedtothatinfluence，wemightbeofcommonoriginafterall。
Here，aseverywhere，whenheatandmoisturearecombined，thepeopleareverydark，butnotquiteblackThereisalwaysashadeofbrowninthemostdeeplycoloredIshowedmywatchandpocketcompass，whichareconsideredgreatcuriosities；but，thoughtheladywascalledonbyherhusbandtolook，shewouldnotbepersuadedtoapproachnearenough。