398 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chap. 



October, When all was ready, the door of an inner inclosure was. 

 18Y5. opened, and tlie chief appeared. He wore an ancient suit of 

 black, bundled on anyhow, and a large gray plaid thrown over 

 his shoulders, the ends being held up behind by a naked little 

 boy. On his head was a dirty old wide-awake hat, and, not- 

 withstanding tlie earliness of the hour, he was already about 

 three parts drunk. 



No sooner was he seated than he commenced informing us 

 of his power, saying that he was a greater man than any other 

 king in Africa ; for, besides his African name, he had a Euro- 

 pean one. His full style and title was King Antonio Kag- 

 nombe, and his picture, the picture of Antonio Kagnombe, had 

 been sent to Lisbon. 



Further, he informed us that we were not to judge of his 

 mightiness by the seedy appearance of his present attire, as 

 very grand clothes had been given him by the Portuguese au- 

 thorities when he was at Loanda. 



He had passed some years at that place, and was supposed 

 to have been educated ; but the sole effect of this education 

 seemed to have been the blending of the vices of semi-civili- 

 zation with those proper to the savage. 



Having heard that I had been a long time on the road, he 

 was graciously pleased to express his satisfaction at the pres- 

 ents I had made him, but desired me to remember that if ever 

 I passed liis town again, I nnist bring gifts more suitable to his 

 greatness. 



The oration being concluded, we moved into the inner com- 

 pound, overshadowed by an enormous banyan-tree, and where 

 some huge female bananas, producing seed, but no fruit, were 

 growing. When the seats were re-arranged, Kagnomb6 entered 

 one of the huts within the inclosure, and shortly re-appeared 

 with a bottle of aguardiente and a tin pannikin. 



He served out a " nip " all round, and then, putting the bot- 

 tle to his lips, took such a deep draught that I expected to see 

 liim fall down insensible. But the only effect was an increase 

 in his liveliness, and he commenced swaggering and dancing 

 a])out in the most extraordinary manner, occupying intervals in 

 his performance by further pulls at the bottle. When it was 

 tinished, we were free to take our departure. 



