276 VICTORIA N’YANZA. [1858.
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turned up another one similarly constructed, which,
brought us into the centre of the sultanas establish-
ment — a small court, in which the common negro
mushroom huts, with ample eaves, afforded us grateful
shelter from the blazing sun. A cow-skin was
now spread, and a wooden stool set for me, that
I might assume a better state than my suite, who
were squatted in a circle around me. With the usual
precaution of African nobles, the lady s-maid was first
sent to introduce herself—an ugly halting creature,
very dirtily garbed, but possessing a smiling contented
face. Her kindly mien induced me, starving and
thirsty as I was after my twelve miles’ walk, to ask
for eggs and milk—great luxuries, considering how
long I had been deprived of them. They were soon
procured, and devoured with a voracity that must
have astonished the bystanders.
The maid, now satisfied there was nothing to fear,
whether from ghost, goblin, or white face, retired and
brought her mistress, a short stumpy old dame, who
had seen at least some sixty summers. Her nose was
short, squat, and flabby at the end, and her eyes were
bald of brows or lashes; but still she retained great
energy of manner, and was blessed with an ever-
smiling face. The dress she wore consisted of an old
barsati, presented by some Arab merchant, and was if
anything dirtier than her maid’s attire. The large
joints of all her fingers were bound up with small
copper wire, her legs staggered under an immense
accumulation of anklets made of brass wire wound
round elephant’s tail or zebra’s h a ir; her arms were
decorated with huge solid brass rings, and from other
thin brass wire bracelets depended a great assortment
of wooden, brazen, horn, and ivory ornaments, cut in
every shape of talismanic peculiarity.
Squatting by my side, the sultana at once shook
hands. Her nimble fingers first manipulated my
shoes (the first point of notice in these barefooted
climes), then my overalls, then my waistcoat, more
particularly the buttons, and then my coat—this latter
article being so much admired, that she wished I
would present it to her, to wear upon her own fair
person. Next my hands and fingers were mumbled,
and declared to be as soft as a child’s, and my hair
was likened to a lion’s mane. “ Where is he going ? ”
was the all-important query. This, without my understanding,
was readily answered by a dozen voices,
thus: “ He is going to the Lake, to barter his cloth
for large hippopotami teeth.” Satisfied with this plausible
story, she retired into privacy, and my slave,
taking the hint, soon followed with the hongo (present
or tax), duly presented it, and begged permission in
my name to depart. But as she had always given
a bullock to the Arabs. who visited, her, I also must
accept one from her, though she could not realise the
fact that so scurvy a present as mine could be intended
for her, whose pretensions were in no way inferior to
those of the Unyanyembd Sultan. An Arab could not
have offered less, and this was a rich Mzungu !
Misfortunes here commenced anew: the bullock she