despatched with presents for the king. They consisted of
a fine piece of strong cotton cloth, of many brilliant colours,
and some “ flashy ” porcelains.
Once they were off, I sat comfortably amid the rocks,
with the wondering crowd perched around on every side.
As I looked at the naked ones sitting on their haunches,
with their heels well tucked in beneath their bodies, and
nearly all eating roots or cracking nuts, I could not help
thinking how much the scene resembled one which I had
witnessed, at which a family of baboons were all posed in
similar attitudes. The human beings did not, perhaps,
make so much noise, but their movements in eating and in
acting, as well as their posture when at rest, Were all of the
same character as those of the lower animal.
After a very long wait, during which I was speculating
seriously upon the likelihood of our being favourably
received, or contumeliously ejected from the territory—we
might be sent off without having even the satisfaction of
an indignation meeting—Karemba returned. His face was
lightened by a half-suppressed smile of satisfaction as he
said:
“ Grughle, gughle, seree! ”
The whole meaning was that the king was good, was
glad that the white man had come to see him, and would be
able to give boys to go and fetch the valuables. Nothing
further, of course, was said regarding my intended journey
towards the north.
Here I was, then, at the outskirts of a Makorikori town,
in the country where the Chibero men had declared I would
surely be killed. I had only four followers, but we were
perfectly happy, and fairly contented, with every indication
of receiving good treatment at last.
I was requested to show my rifle. Just as the exhibition
was about to begin one of the audience suddenly went
into a f it; and immediately, as if thoroughly conversant
with such affairs, the old men gathered round the sufferer.
They quickly placed a blanket over his quivering form,
reminding me of the fire-extinguishing plan. Under the
blanket he kicked violently, “ squirming ” all the time like
a dying hare.
A grave-looking old fellow advanced, and in a sitting
posture took up his place close to the afflicted one’s head.
Apparently he was concentrating his thoughts, for in a
little time he began to talk slowly and solemnly, and
in a most methodical manner going through a long and
evidently, to the bystanders, an interesting incantation, in
the course of which he told what manner of man the victim
was, and where he had lived. I t was difficult for me to
find out anything intelligible about this peculiar ceremony ;
even Karemba looked solemn when I inquired as to its
meaning.
This incantation, or mayhap the revival of nature, had
the desired effect of driving the evil spirit out of the
unfortunate man, and leaving him in his normal condition.
The wild contortions and upheavals which had been going
on under the blanket gradually subsided, until the figure
resembled an ant heap, with a blanket over it, drying in the
sun. After a short pause, the man sat up, looked about, and
immediately took snuff. A dead silence ensued—Richard
was himself again!
The reader may imagine that it was with the greatest
difficulty that I was enabled to keep my countenance
straight when witnessing this funny ceremony, but fortunately
I did succeed in keeping up a stolid expression.
The weather being of the brightest and best description,
I was induced to take many a solitary walk through the