Duringtheintervalsbetweenthespeeches,theseladiesburstforthintoasortofplaintiveditty;butitwasimpossibleforanyofustocatchwhetheritwasinpraiseofthespeaker,ofShinte,orofthemselves。
ThiswasthefirsttimeIhadeverseenfemalespresentinapublicassembly。
Inthesouththewomenarenotpermittedtoenterthekotla;
andevenwheninvitedtocometoareligiousservicethere,wouldnotenteruntilorderedtodosobythechief;butheretheyexpressedapprobationbyclappingtheirhands,andlaughingtodifferentspeakers;
andShintefrequentlyturnedroundandspoketothem。
Apartyofmusicians,consistingofthreedrummersandfourperformersonthepiano,wentroundthekotlaseveraltimes,regalinguswiththeirmusicTheirdrumsareneatlycarvedfromthetrunkofatree,andhaveasmallholeinthesidecoveredwithabitofspider’sweb:
theendsarecoveredwiththeskinofanantelopepeggedon;
andwhentheywishtotightenit,theyholdittothefiretomakeitcontract:theinstrumentsarebeatenwiththehands。
Thepiano,named“marimba“,consistsoftwobarsofwoodplacedsidebyside,herequitestraight,but,farthernorth,bentroundsoastoresemblehalfthetireofacarriage-wheel;acrosstheseareplacedaboutfifteenwoodenkeys,eachofwhichistwoorthreeinchesbroad,andfifteenoreighteenincheslong;theirthicknessisregulatedaccordingtothedeepnessofthenoterequired:eachofthekeyshasacalabashbeneathit;fromtheupperpartofeachaportioniscutofftoenablethemtoembracethebars,andformhollowsounding-boardstothekeys,whichalsoareofdifferentsizes,accordingtothenoterequired;andlittledrumstickselicitthemusic。
Rapidityofexecutionseemsmuchadmiredamongthem,andthemusicispleasanttotheearInAngolathePortugueseusethemarimbaintheirdances。
Whenninespeakershadconcludedtheirorations,Shintestoodup,andsodidallthepeopleHehadmaintainedtrueAfricandignityofmannerallthewhile,butmypeopleremarkedthathescarcelyevertookhiseyesoffmeforamomentAboutathousandpeoplewerepresent,accordingtomycalculation,andthreehundredsoldiers。
Thesunhadnowbecomehot;andthesceneendedbytheMambaridischargingtheirguns。
18THWewereawakenedduringthenightbyamessagefromShinte,requestingavisitataveryunseasonablehourAsIwasjustinthesweatingstageofanintermittent,andthepathtothetownlaythroughawetvalley,IdeclinedgoingKolimbota,whoknowstheircustomsbest,urgedmetogo;but,independentofsickness,Ihatedwordsofthenightanddeedsofdarkness“Iwasneitherahyaenanorawitch。”
Kolimbotathoughtthatweoughttoconformtotheirwishesineverything:
Ithoughtweoughttohavesomechoiceinthematteraswell,whichputhimintohighdudgeonHowever,attennextmorningwewent,andwereledintothecourtsofShinte,thewallsofwhichwerewovenrods,allveryneatandhighManytreesstoodwithintheinclosureandaffordedagratefulshadeThesehadbeenplanted,forwesawsomerecentlyputin,withgrasswoundroundthetrunktoprotectthemfromthesunTheotherwisewastecornersofthestreetswereplantedwithsugar-caneandbananas,whichspreadtheirlargelightleavesoverthewalls。
TheFicusIndicatree,underwhichwenowsat,hadverylargeleaves,butshoweditsrelationshiptotheIndianbanianbysendingdownshootstowardthegroundShintesooncame,andappearedamanofupwardoffifty-fiveyearsofage,offrankandopencountenance,andaboutthemiddleheightHeseemedingoodhumor,andsaidhehadexpectedyesterday“thatamanwhocamefromthegodswouldhaveapproachedandtalkedtohim。”Thathadbeenmyownintentioningoingtothereception;butwhenwecameandsawtheformidablepreparations,andallhisownmenkeepingatleastfortyyardsofffromhim,Iyieldedtothesolicitationsofmymen,andremainedbythetreeoppositetothatunderwhichhesatHisremarkconfirmedmypreviousbeliefthatafrank,open,fearlessmanneristhemostwinningwithalltheseAfricansIstatedtheobjectofmyjourneyandmission,andtoallIadvancedtheoldgentlemanclappedhishandsinapprobation。
Herepliedthroughaspokesman;thenallthecompanyjoinedintheresponsebyclappingofhandstoo。
Afterthemoreseriousbusinesswasover,IaskedifhehadeverseenawhitemanbeforeHereplied,“Never;youaretheveryfirstIhaveseenwithawhiteskinandstraighthair;yourclothing,too,isdifferentfromanywehaveeverseen。”TheyhadbeenvisitedbynativePortugueseandMambarionly。
Onlearningfromsomeofthepeoplethat“Shinte’smouthwasbitterforwantoftastingox-flesh。”Ipresentedhimwithanox,tohisgreatdelight;and,ashiscountryissowelladaptedforcattle,IadvisedhimtobeginatradeincowswiththeMakololo。
Hewaspleasedwiththeidea,andwhenwereturnedfromLoanda,wefoundthathehadprofitedbythehint,forhehadgotthree,andoneofthemjustifiedmyopinionofthecountry,foritwasmorelikeaprizeheiferforfatnessthananywehadseeninAfrica。
Hesoonafterwardsentusabasketofgreenmaizeboiled,anotherofmanioc-meal,andasmallfowlThemaizeshowsbyitssizethefertilityoftheblacksoilofallthevalleyshere,andsodoesthemanioc,thoughnomanureiseverapplied。
Wesawmaniocattainaheightofsixfeetandupward,andthisisaplantwhichrequirestheverybestsoil。
DuringthistimeManenkohadbeenextremelybusywithallherpeopleingettingupaveryprettyhutandcourt-yard,tobe,asshesaid,herresidencealwayswhenwhitemenwerebroughtbyheralongthesamepath。
Whensheheardthatwehadgivenanoxtoheruncle,shecameforwardtouswiththeairofonewronged,andexplainedthat“thiswhitemanbelongedtoher;shehadbroughthimhere,andthereforetheoxwashers,notShinte’s。”Sheorderedhermentobringit,gotitslaughteredbythem,andpresentedherunclewithalegonlyShintedidnotseematallannoyedattheoccurrence。
19THIwasawakenedatanearlyhourbyamessengerfromShinte;
butthethirstofaragingfeverbeingjustassuagedbytheburstingforthofacopiousperspiration,Ideclinedgoingforafewhours。
Violentactionoftheheartallthewaytothetowndidnotpredisposemetobepatientwiththedelaywhichthenoccurred,probablyonaccountofthedivinationbeingunfavorable:“TheycouldnotfindShinte。”
WhenIreturnedtobed,anothermessagewasreceived,“Shintewishedtosayallhehadtotellmeatonce。”Thiswastootemptinganoffer,sowewent,andhehadafowlreadyinhishandtopresent,alsoabasketofmanioc-meal,andacalabashofmead。
Referringtotheconstantly-recurringattacksoffever,heremarkedthatitwastheonlythingwhichwouldpreventasuccessfulissuetomyjourney,forhehadmentoguidemewhoknewallthepathswhichledtothewhitemenHehadhimselftraveledfarwhenayoungman。
Onaskingwhathewouldrecommendforthefever,“Drinkplentyofthemead,andasitgetsin,itwilldrivethefeverout。”Itwasratherstrong,andIsuspecthelikedtheremedyprettywell,eventhoughhehadnofever。
HehadalwaysbeenafriendtoSebituane,and,nowthathissonSekeletuwasinhisplace,Shintewasnotmerelyafriend,butafathertohim;
andifasonasksafavor,thefathermustgiveitHewashighlypleasedwiththelargecalabashesofclarifiedbutterandfatwhichSekeletuhadsenthim,andwishedtodetainKolimbota,thathemightsendapresentbacktoSekeletubyhishandsThispropositionweafterwarddiscoveredwasKolimbota’sown,ashehadheardsomuchabouttheferocityofthetribesthroughwhichweweretopassthathewishedtosavehisskin。
Itwillbeseenfartheronthathewastheonlyoneofourpartywhoreturnedwithawound。
Wewereparticularlystruck,inpassingthroughthevillage,withthepunctiliousnessofmannersshownbytheBalonda。
Theinferiors,onmeetingtheirsuperiorsinthestreet,atoncedropontheirkneesandrubdustontheirarmsandchest;
theycontinuethesalutationofclappingthehandsuntilthegreatoneshavepassedSambanzakneltdowninthismannertillthesonofShintehadpassedhim。
WeseveraltimessawthewomanwhooccupiestheofficeofdrawerofwaterforShinte;sheringsabellasshepassesalongtogivewarningtoalltokeepoutofherway;itwouldbeagraveoffenseforanyonetocomenearher,andexerciseanevilinfluencebyhispresenceonthedrinkofthechiefIsuspectthatoffensesoftheslightestcharacteramongthepooraremadethepretextforsellingthemortheirchildrentotheMambariAyoungmanofLobalehadfledintothecountryofShinte,andlocatedhimselfwithoutshowinghimselftothechiefThiswasconsideredanoffensesufficienttowarranthisbeingseizedandofferedforsalewhilewewerethereHehadnotreportedhimself,sotheydidnotknowthereasonofhisrunningawayfromhisownchief,andthatchiefmightaccusethemofreceivingacriminalItwascurioustonoticetheeffectoftheslave-tradeinbluntingthemoralsusceptibility:
nochiefinthesouthwouldtreatafugitiveinthisway。
Mymenwerehorrifiedattheact,eventhougholdShinteandhiscouncilhadsomeshowofreasonontheirside;andboththeBarotseandtheMakololodeclaredthat,iftheBalondaonlyknewofthepolicypursuedbythemtofugitives,butfewofthediscontentedwouldremainlongwithShinte。
Mymenexcitedthewonderofhispeoplebystatingthateveryoneofthemhadonecowatleastinhispossession。
Anotherincident,whichoccurredwhilewewerehere,maybementioned,asofacharactertotallyunknowninthesouthTwochildren,ofsevenandeightyearsold,wentouttocollectfirewoodashortdistancefromtheirparents’home,whichwasaquarterofamilefromthevillage,andwerekidnapped;thedistractedparentscouldnotfindatraceofthem。
Thishappenedsoclosetothetown,wheretherearenobeastsofprey,thatwesuspectsomeofthehighmenofShinte’scourtweretheguiltyparties:theycansellthembynight。
TheMambarierectlargehutsofasquareshapetostowthesestolenonesin;
theyarewellfed,butairedbynightonlyThefrequentkidnappingfromoutlyinghamletsexplainsthestockadeswesawaroundthem;
theparentshavenoredress,forevenShintehimselfseemsfondofworkinginthedarkOnenighthesentforme,thoughIalwaysstatedIlikedallmydealingstobeaboveboardWhenIcamehepresentedmewithaslavegirlabouttenyearsold;hesaidhehadalwaysbeeninthehabitofpresentinghisvisitorswithachildOnmythankinghim,andsayingthatIthoughtitwrongtotakeawaychildrenfromtheirparents,thatIwishedhimtogiveupthissystemaltogether,andtradeincattle,ivory,andbees’-wax,heurgedthatshewas“tobeachild“tobringmewater,andthatagreatmanoughttohaveachildforthepurpose,yetIhadnone。
AsIrepliedthatIhadfourchildren,andshouldbeverysorryifmychiefweretotakemylittlegirlandgiveheraway,andthatIwouldpreferthischildtoremainandcarrywaterforherownmother,hethoughtIwasdissatisfiedwithhersize,andsentforoneaheadtaller;
aftermanyexplanationsofourabhorrenceofslavery,andhowdispleasingitmustbetoGodtoseehischildrensellingoneanother,andgivingeachothersomuchgriefasthischild’smothermustfeel,IdeclinedheralsoIfIcouldhavetakenherintomyfamilyforthepurposeofinstruction,andthenreturnedherasafreewoman,accordingtoapromiseIshouldhavemadetotheparents,Imighthavedoneso;buttotakeheraway,andprobablyneverbeabletosecureherreturn,wouldhaveproducednogoodeffectonthemindsoftheBalonda;theywouldnotthenhaveseenevidenceofourhatredtoslavery,andthekindattentionsofmyfriendswould,asitalmostalwaysdoesinsimilarcases,haveturnedthepoorthing’shead。
ThedifferenceinpositionbetweenthemandusisasgreatasbetweenthelowestandhighestinEngland,andweknowtheeffectsofsuddenelevationonwiserheadsthanhers,whoseownershadnotbeenborntoit。
Shintewasmostanxioustoseethepicturesofthemagiclantern;butfeverhadsoweakeninganeffect,andIhadsuchviolentactionoftheheart,withbuzzingintheears,thatIcouldnotgoforseveraldays;whenIdidgoforthepurpose,hehadhisprincipalmenandthesamecrowdofcourtbeautiesnearhimasatthereceptionThefirstpictureexhibitedwasAbrahamabouttoslaughterhissonIsaac;itwasshownaslargeaslife,andtheupliftedknifewasintheactofstrikingthelad;