GAUARONGA, THE GREAT CHIEF 179 



Princess Koyal acknowledged our visit by sending 

 some eighty eggs as a parting gift, though, as seventy- 

 nine of them were bad, we felt little gratitude, and 

 grudged having to make a return present. 



We paid one more visit to Miramiza, Princess of 

 Wadai. Her house was a tiny little hut, and con- 

 tained no furniture but a blue and white earthen- 

 ware teapot. The place was so thickly infested with 

 flies that we could with difficulty see that or any- 

 thing else. She was, however, very much pleased 

 to see us, and her eyes glistened and voice quavered 

 with excitement as she besought us not to enter 

 Wadai. "Don't go, don't go, don't go," she repeated, 

 and when she paused to listen to our assurance that 

 we did not mean to do so, she patted us on the 

 shoulder, shook both our hands, and showed immense 

 relief What did she know to make her think it so 

 unsafe ? She too asked to see our hair, and alas for 

 our pride, we showed it. The old lady stroked it 

 in silence, then she sighed, and said that she had 

 hoped to see long hair, like French women have, 

 who, the Resident told her, could wrap their toes in 

 it. We refrained from comment to her, but when 

 we reproached Captain Lucas, he had the grace to 

 blush as he said, " Mais, Madame, elle exagere." 



Before leaving the subject of hair, it may be worth 

 while mentioning that the electricity in the air was 

 so strong that Mrs Talbot and I hardly dared brush 

 our hair, so much did it crackle and flash. When 

 we got into bed our blankets literally gave out a sheet 

 of flame ; indeed, we had terrifying visions of being 

 burnt alive should we fldget in bed in our sleep. 

 We were far more subject to it than her husband. 



