Chap. IX. SPEECH OF CHIEF MAYOLO. 181 



alone in tlie world ; lie lias friends, and there are no 

 pco[)le who are without iriends. You Otando have 

 friends among the Apono and Ishogo people, where 

 I want to go. If you ask ti-ade of tlicse friends, they 

 give it to you. I come to you to ask you the road. 

 Come and show me the road through the Apono 

 countiy ; it is the one I like the ])e.st, for it is the 

 shortest. I will make your heart glad, if you make 

 my heart glad. I have things to give you all, and I 

 want the news to spread that Mayolo and I are two 

 great i'riends, so that after I am gone people may 

 sa}', ' Mayolo was the friend of the Oguizi.' " 



Tlie last part of the speech was received with tre- 

 mendous shouts of applause, and cries of " Eovano ! 

 Eovano ! " ]\Iayolo joining in with the rest. When I 

 had finished I sat down on my footstool. 



Mayolo deferred his answer to the next day, as all 

 his people were not present, and we then had another 

 palaver, which I hoped would be a final one. The 

 men were seated round in a semi-circle, the women 

 forming a cluster by themselves, and in front was 

 stationed a boy holding a goat, by the side of which 

 w^ere two bunches of plantains ; my own people were 

 also present. Mayolo began his speech, and, as is 

 customary, addressed a third person, Igala, saying : — 



" When a hunter goes into the Ibrest in search 

 of game, he is not glad until he returns home with 

 meat. So Ohaillie's heart will not be glad, until 

 he finishes what he wishes to do. I have heard what 

 Chaillie has told me. I am a man. Chaillie, the 

 Oguizi (Spirit) has come to Mayolo ; I am Mayolo ; 

 there is no other Mayolo but me. I am ashamed at 



