XX. T A MOTHEE-IN-LAW. 275 



that I began to fear they would undress me altogether; to September, 

 avoid which I sent for some beads and cowries and gave them i^"^^- 

 a scramble, and thus withdrew their attention from my per- 

 sonal peculiarities. 



When Russuna came to see me, he brought a large and hand- 

 somely carved stool upon which he sat, while he used the lap 

 of one of his wives, who was seated on the ground, as his foot- 

 stool. "While he remained here a sub-chief visited him in state, 

 accompanied by people carrying shields ornamented with cow- 

 ries and beads, and fringed with black monkey - skins, and a 

 woman bearing on a spear the skin of a tippet-monkey as a 

 standard. Russima, in equal state, went a short distance from 

 the camp to meet and welcome him. This chief and Russuna 

 then had a palaver with Tipo-tipo and the Nyangwe Arabs, and, 

 after swearing eternal friendship, the caravan was free to pro- 

 ceed on its way to Tipo-tipo's camp, which was reached, without 

 any further adventure, on the 3d of September. 



Russiina's private village, inhabited only by himself and his 

 wives, had been passed on the road. It consisted of about forty 

 comfortable square huts in two rows, with a large one in the 

 centre for himself. Each hut contained about four wives, and 

 Russiina's mother had the pleasant task of keeping them all in 

 order. 



