166 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTKAL AFRICA 



of their hair. The hint was broad, and Mrs Talbot was 

 remorseless in her wish that mine should be exhibited, 

 so down it came — by then, indeed, the hot climate had 

 left me little to display, but the mere fact of hair 

 reaching to below the waist was enough to give the 

 wool-owning black people a real thrill, and to see it 

 rolled up again with British hairpins in the space of 

 one minute was a further marvel. When one remem- 

 bers that their own elaborate coiffure takes hours to 

 arrange, and is left standing for two or three moons, 

 the contrast must seem miraculous. 



Gauaronga's wives occupy themselves in the manu- 

 facture of finely-woven white burnouses, with which 

 their lord and master practises an inexpensive gener- 

 osity. Occasionally one is given to a beggar - — the 

 Great Chief clothes the naked ; or he gives one to an 

 honoured guest — one was given to us. A still more 

 frequent use is for one to be brought, together with 

 the Sultan's condolences, to a house of mourning, so 

 that the dead man may be buried honourably in this 

 fine raiment. 



The Agid, or messenger who brings it, points out to 

 the bereaved family that they must make some acknow- 

 ledgment of this mark of the Sultan's sympathy, and 

 he returns to his royal master laden with all that he 

 can lay hands on — sometimes the man's whole fortune. 



This custom was told to the Kesident with bitter 

 plaints and appeals for his help. He spoke of it to 

 Gauaronga, who opened his eyes wide with astonishment. 

 " How could I tell," he exclaimed innocently, " that 

 what my people offered to me was not given willingly 

 in gratitude ? Is it possible that it is not so ? " 



The fact that they are his wives does not save the 



