DOWN THE LOGONS KIVER 123 



all, and after shaking hands he preceded us to our 

 quarters in a big square outside his palace. The 

 streets were thronged with onlookers, all gazing 

 eagerly at us, and, except that some of the women 

 wore beads in their nostrils and had dyed their lips 

 green, they seemed to us representatives of supreme 

 civilisation. Once in the square the Mai shook 

 hands with us again, and, amid the acclamations of 

 his people, we all sat down. He himself was fault- 

 lessly apparelled, but unfortunately marred the effect 

 by wearing white canvas sand - shoes without any 

 laces. 



Some 300 men surrounded the square, many of 

 them soldiers armed with rifles, and the greatest 

 among them wore brilliantly coloured cartridge-belts. 

 A considerable band was playing, led by an aligata, 

 whose two assistants took a minor ro/e, mercifully, 

 for a few seconds was enough to prove a hopeless 

 disaccord between the instruments. There were 

 three big side -drums, and a couple of kettle- 

 drums of different pitch, played by a man who 

 squatted on the ground before them. Four trum- 

 peters had long tin instruments, 7 feet in length, 

 capable of variation in note, and somewhat like a 

 trombone in tone ; but one was of a deeper pitch 

 than the other three. These large trumpets, or 

 frum-frums, are peculiar to royalty. The band 

 was completed by an instrument similar in shape, 

 but covered with leather. While they played, J 

 four men holding brass pitchforks stood by the 

 Mai. It is their business to run before him when he 

 rides and clear the branches from his path. One of 

 them had other duties too, for he was a jester and 



