246 THE SPITTING TRIBE. [CH. VI. 



with it, that we must go back. He and the boy then threw 

 up dust at us, in a clever way, with their toes.* These 

 various expressions of hostility and defiance, were too intelli- 

 gible to be mistaken. The expressiv^e pantomime of the 

 man plainly shewed the identity of the human mind, how- 

 ever distinct the races, or different the language — but his 

 loud words were, of course, lost upon us. Overseer Burnett 

 very incautiously stole up, and sat unarmed and defenceless 

 within five yards of him. All Burnett's endeavours to con- 

 ciliate and inspire confidence, had but little effect upon the 

 savage, who merely lowered his tone a little, and then ad- 

 vancing a few steps, addressed himself no longer to me, but 

 to him. I felt some apprehension for the safety of Burnett, 

 but it was too late to call him back. We were seated in 

 the usual form, at the distance of at least one hundred yards 

 from him, and the savage held a spear, raised in his hand. 

 At length, however, he retired slowly along the river bank, 

 making it evident, by his gestures, that he was going for 

 his tribe ; and singing a war-song as he went. The boy in 

 particular seemed to glory in throwing up the dust at us, 

 and I had not the least doubt, but certainly not the slightest 

 wish, that we should see this man again. 



About half-past four in the afternoon, a party of the tribe 

 made their appearance in the same quarter ; holding out 

 boughs, but according to a very different ceremonial from any 



* Strange as this custom appears to us, it is quite consistent with some 

 passages in the early history of mankind. King David and his host met with 

 a similar reception at Bahurim. — " And as David and his men went by the way, 

 Shlmei wont along on the liill's side over against liim, and cursed as he went, 

 and threw stones at him, and cast dust." 2 Sam. xvi. 13. So also we read in 

 Acts xxii. 23, " They cried out, and cast ofi' their clothes, and threw dust into 

 the air.'' Frequent mention is made of this as the practice of the Arabians, in 

 Ockley's History of the Saracens, when they would express their contempt of a 

 person speaking, and their abhorrence of what he ])ublicly pronounces. We 

 find also this' directly stated in Light's Travels in Jigypt, p. (i4. " One more 

 violent than the rest, threw dust into the air, the signal both of rage and 

 defiance, ran for his shield, and came towards me dancing, howling, and striking 

 the shield wifii the Ik ad of his javelin, to intimidate me." 



