196 THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 



looked also for the pink lemonade. It seems that pea- 

 nuts are a staple of the country. Bought some and 

 had them roasted. 



At the end of three and a half hours got in to our old 

 camp and found Dolo, Sulimani, the Toto, all four 

 donkeys, and the eight men all well and very glad to see 

 us. The sultan, having duly impressed me before by 

 his gorgeousness, now appeared in a blanket.* He had 

 seven loads of potio ready out of the thirteen promised. 

 I called him up and very firmly informed him that un- 

 less the other six were forthcoming by evening he would 

 get the price only, and no backshish. This stirred him, 

 and I saw messengers running off in all directions, to 

 return at the end of a few hours followed by a slave or 

 so bearing a greater or lesser amount of meal. By 

 eight o'clock all was in but two loads. He sent word 

 that was all he could get. I, sitting among pillows, 

 sent a stern message that the rest must come or no 

 backshish. About nine he brought in the last, which 

 he said had been prepared for his own household. I 

 counted out the thirteen rupees payment, added five 

 rupees and a folding knife, and left him satisfied. 



One of our men is greatly given to decoration. The 

 other day he found some white tree pollen with which 

 he daubed his face in a manner ghastly to behold. 

 This evening he appeared with the feathers of the in- 



*This seems the frugal custom of most Central African sultans. One 

 dazzling appearance, and the finery is put away. 



