THE TUBUEI LAKES 83 



interest to the Tuburi. She suggested that we should 

 let it down, that they might see the full mystery of 

 its length. The sous-officier begged us not to, lest 

 they should think we were devils, and treat us accord- 

 ingly. They seemed to be shrewd observers, for they 

 remarked it was evident that the Talbots and I were 

 of different race. Their hair is darker, but their eyes 

 are blue like mine, and the Tuburi must have detected 

 the subtle difference between EnMish and Scottish. 



The contract was complete : they had danced, and 

 in the morning we gave our gifts. The difficulty of 

 giving suitable presents at home, where we all have 

 countless wants, is great ; but at Yue, where there 

 were none, it was a problem indeed. In vain we 

 turned over our stores of rich and gaudy stuffs, — all 

 were rejected with a look of puzzled scorn ; but at last 

 beads, dark blue and white, were produced. Then a 

 smile of content spread over the black faces. Here 

 was something they valued, something they could 

 use. 



In the morning we went up to the village, hopeful 

 that the people, now that they knew us, might give 

 us a friendly reception. The first place we visited was 

 the Bamm's compound. Outside it stood a huge drum, 

 nine feet high, which the player reaches by means of 

 steps that lean up against it. It was sheltered beneath 

 a roof of zana matting. Ordinarily some obliging 

 native would have moved it for us, so that we might 

 get a photograph, but on this occasion cold, suspicious 

 eyes watched, and their owners obviously resented 

 our curiosity. The Bamm was away, they said, and 

 nothing could be done without him. They would 

 neither show us their houses nor sell us anything. 



