THE DEPARTURE. -- 139 
tect his friend Quengueza, and his Ntanga (white man). 
He is covered with fetiches, and has rubbed his body 
with the chalk of the Alumbi. 
The kendo is the badge of royalty in some of these 
tribes of Africa. I will give you a description of the 
kendo. It is a rude ball of iron, fashioned with a long 
handle, also of iron, and of the same piece. The sound 
which with us announces the vicinity of a herd of cows 
or sheep, in Africa precedes the advent of the sovereign, 
who uses the kendo only when on visits of state or on 
business of importance. 
When they wear the kendo it is on the shoulder, and 
there is put over it the skin of a genetta, in which some 
of the Alumhi powder is kept. 
In this case friend Obindji thought it was very im- 
portant that the spirits of his ancestors should follow us. 
He wanted good wishes to precede us. Hence he said, 
he hoped we would have plenty to eat, and that I would 
kill all the game I wanted. 
Obindji was really in earnest, and jabbered away in a 
manner and with an eagerness that was laughable; he 
had certainly plenty of faith in the powers he was in- 
voking. 
The canoes were ready, and soon friend King Quen- 
gueza gave the order for our departure. His Majesty 
was in his royal travelling costume. He had on a coat 
which I had given him, but no shirt; he had a cravat 
round his neck, and instead of pantaloons, which, by the 
way, I had never been able to make him wear, he had 
a cloth round his waist. His. bag hung over his shoul- 
der, and in this was his ogana (idol); there also he had 
a good supply of tobacco, his pipes, and several other 
