164 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTRAL AFRICA 



see the queen. We were the first white people to 

 enter her presence, for the Sultan keeps his wives in 

 strict seclusion, and not even the Resident can form an 

 idea of what goes on in the harem. We were con- 

 ducted thither by two eunuchs, who carried chairs 

 behind us. We passed through several courts, in some 

 of which children were playing, while slave-women were 

 busied in domestic occupations : in others goats, fowls, 

 and duck wandered, and the only sign of grandeur or 

 display was in a rather fine copper and brass water- 

 basin, overlaid with some white metal, which was let 

 into the earth for the live stock to drink out of. 



Presently we came to another gate of tin, and in a 

 moment more we were in the presence of the Gumsu, 

 Gauaronga's Queen. 



She was squatting on a Persian rug, under a zana 

 mat shelter, and was dressed in a beautiful robe of blue 

 brocade. Her hair hung in tight brown ringlets all 

 round her head, and was adorned with richly chased 

 ornaments of gold and coral. She was old and ugly ; 

 she was also very shy, and kept her hands before her 

 face, so that we could not really see her features. She 

 acknowledged our presence in no other way than by 

 thus covering her face. The remarks we addressed to 

 her were answered by one of her attendants, but it is 

 not easy to think of things to say when they receive 

 no response, and especially when they have to be 

 framed in French words of one syllable, such as Mrs 

 Mohmaduba could understand. Mrs Talbot was won- 

 derful at it, but we were both glad when the moment 

 came to say good-bye. 



Before we took our leave we looked into the Gumsu's 

 bedroom, which was divided into two parts by a big 



