271 JOURNEY THROUGH TSHOGO-LAND. Chap. XIV. 



the ground, and painted white. The twins were now 

 six years old, and the poor woman was released from 

 her six years' imprisonment on the day of my arrival. 

 During tlie day two women were stationed at the 

 door of tlie house with their faces and legs painted 

 white — one was the doctor, the other the mother. 

 The festivities commenced by their marching down 

 the street, one heating a drum with a slow measured 

 heat, and the other singing. The dancing, singing, 

 and drinking of all the villagers then set in for the 

 night. After the ceremony the twins weie allowed 

 to go about like other children. In consequence of 

 all this trouble and restriction of liberty, the bringing 

 forth of twins is considered, and no wonder, by the 

 women as a great calamity. Nothing iriitat'js or 

 annoys an expectant mother in these countries so 

 much as to point to her and tell her that she is sure 

 to have twins. 



The tribes here are far milder than those f jund 

 near Lagos, or iii East A fricn, where, as Burton men- 

 tions, twins are always killed immediately on their 

 being born. 



June iDth. I awoke this morning rather unwell 

 from having had so distuihed a night; and when the 

 king came to shake hands with me — a custom I had 

 taught him to adopt — I refused his proffered hand, 

 saying that I was angry, and annoyed at the dis- 

 turbances of the past night. Whereupon the mild- 

 tempered chief prom'sed that the next night tliey 

 should sing a long way from my resting-place. AVe 

 then became better friends than ever. 



In the evening I gave him his present. He came 



