AM BESIEGED BY THE WOMEN. 155 
my house, and, seizing my gun in one hand and my re- 
volver in the other, told them I would shoot the first 
one that came inside my door. I never saw such an in- 
furiated set. My house was surrounded by above three 
hundred angry women, every one shouting out curses at 
me; and still they kept coming in, their number every 
moment growing greater and gréater. 3 
King Mbango came to the rescue. I was glad of it, 
for I had never been in such a predicament before. I 
had never faced in my life an angry mob of women be- 
fore; and here there were hundreds of them before me, 
who seemed ready to tear my eyes out of my head, or 
commit such other gentle little deeds as I ery 
thought no female could attempt. 
Presently they went back to the Njambai Atk. and 
I felt quite relieved. I had become almost deaf, and 
had wondered how I should get out of the serape. 
At last a deputation of the women came to King 
Mbango and to Quengueza, who told the women I was 
their guest. The women did not wish to yield, but at 
last King Mbango and his male subjects came one by 
one and put their offerings before the women. These 
consisted of grass-cloth, knives, plates, bracelets, anklets, 
etc., etc. With these the angry women were appeased, 
and there the quarrel ended. Of course I could not 
make any further investigations into their mysteries. I 
was watched very closely, and Mbango came and im- 
plored me not to go again, saying—‘ The wrath of Njam- 
bai may come upon us!” pe 
The Njambai feast lasted about two weeks. I could 
learn very little about the spirit which they call by this 
name. It protects the women against their male ene- 
