THE REDISCOVERED COUNTRY 205 



and, second, an elderly man of the old school, crafty, 

 scheming, autocratic, cherishing a veiled hostility to 

 the white domination, having no Swahili. Missambi, 

 poor boy, was thus divided in mind between his natu- 

 rally friendly disposition and desire to follow his orders 

 and the strong influence the elders of his own family 

 can always exert over a boy of that age. As yet he 

 possessed little real authority over his people. His 

 orders were diluted through the wishes of his two older 

 guardians or relations. That they had any effect at all 

 was due somewhat to traditional respect for the heredi- 

 tary chieftain, but principally to the very genuine awe 

 with which the Germans have succeeded in inspiring 

 their savage tribes. 



The old man visited me once, and only once. We 

 exchanged formal speeches through an interpreter, 

 proffered each other small presents, he made his salaam 

 and departed. The younger man, however, was always 

 about. He had an eye for the main chance, and got 

 everything he could from money to medicine. That 

 he did not get more was not for lack of asking. He 

 was exceedingly officious, and on the surface eager to be 

 of service; but I am certain that underneath the surface 

 of things his influence was quite as strongly against 

 us. 



We did our time-worn tricks amid great applause — 

 the opera hat, the disappearing coin^ the sword cane, 

 the image in the reflex camera, etc. ^ Also, by a happy 



