WONDER OF THE DAY. 97 



Having reached the nearest spot to Maramia's hut, 

 we landed in the midst of this mob of savages with- 

 out arms, save our revolvers, which were concealed 

 from sight. A messenger was now despatched to the 

 chief to acquaint him of our arrival. This man soon 

 returned, saying the chief was getting ready, and 

 would be with us in a few minutes. Men, women, 

 and children now packed themselves as close as they 

 could around us, the smaller specimens of humanity 

 being lifted on to the shoulders, and, in many places, 

 the heads of their respective relations, that they also 

 might have a view of the great wonder of the day, 

 the white men. As I stood in their midst, subject to 

 an investigation which was sometimes unpleasantly 

 close — I allude to the feeling of my clothes and skin 

 — I was surprised by the sea of heads around me, 

 and though I was head and shoulders over the mob, 

 I could not help fancying what a mite I was amongst 

 such a crowd, and how very easily and quickly I 

 could be disposed of, should they feel inclined to 

 make an end of me. As the chief was long arrang- 

 ing his toilet, the crowd had plenty of time to glut their 

 eyes on visitors who, judging from the fixed optics and 

 open mouths around, must have struck them as being 

 the '^ shades of their grandfathers," and I had also a 

 good opportunity of studying their extraordinary phy- 

 siognomies. There were amongst them many Man- 

 ganja women, distinguishable by the pelele, or lip-ring; 

 and to describe the different fashions or patterns into 

 which the hair on the heads of the male sex was cut, 

 would alone require a book. Some had half the head 

 shaved, and the hair on the other half dressed so as to 



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