232 COTONDWAY. 



accompanied by two men, he left the crowd and moved 

 off towards the village, into which 1 had little doubt 

 that he was being escorted to the chief. In about a 

 quarter of an hour a party of some fifty natives, 

 headed by two men, one of whom I perceived to be 

 Moloka, came out of the village and halted under a 

 large tree about two hundred yards from me. The 

 whole of the people now turned out and squatted 

 on the ground, ranging ten deep, close outside their 

 village, that they might see what was going on ; while 

 Moloka, leaving the party under the tree, returned to 

 me, saying, 



"That man there chief! Very good, he speak 

 very good ! No speak fight, want to see English 

 lion ! Come quick, these people no savez English." 



In a few minutes I was in the presence of Cotond- 

 way. He and his suite received me with a prolonged 

 clapping of hands, which was acknowledged by myself 

 and followers. After looking at me in silence for 

 about five minutes, he ventured to make a remark, 

 which was interpreted as follows by Chinsoro : "The 

 white chief is a very big man !" Here my swarthy 

 friend was not far wrong. I made Chinsoro tell 

 him that I had come to see him and kill the ele- 

 phant and buffalo. He said I was welcome, and that 

 if I would go with him he would show me a large 

 hut whicli he would have cleaned up for my use. I 

 presented him with some red cloth and a fez, adding 

 a few beads, wliich I said were a present for his wives. 

 He was delighted with this, saying he had heard of 

 white people, but had never seen an}^ of them before. 

 Ordering some of his men to take the loads my por- 



