DANCING AT GUBULEWEYO. 97 
Dance going on, consisting of the men of two large 
kraals, forming a circle, ' marking time,' and waving 
sticks, whilst the king, with rhinoceros-horn knob- 
kerry, acted as bandmaster. There was also sing- 
ing. Nina^ requested me to stand up and join, 
which I did. Every now and then a man rushes 
out into the space in the middle, shaking his 
shield and brandishing his assegai, enacts his 
fighting, and shows how many he has killed, whilst 
loud shouts are raised on all sides. The usual 
dress consists of a head-dress of black feathers, 
and a bunch of monkeys' tails round the loins, 
with white frills of ox-tails on the arms, and (in the 
case of veterans I suppose) a long solitary feather 
to top all, and a piece of fur round the head. 
The king had on a broad-brimmed black felt hat, 
a huge bunch of monkeys' skins round his middle, 
and carried an Elcho sword bayonet (my present) 
and a rhinoceros-horn knob-kerry. When the danc- 
ing and singing was over, the men defiled past the 
king in companies, singing a monotonous but not 
unmusical chorus , which they accompanied by rap- 
ping their shields with their sticks, producing a dull 
heavy sound. Strings of girls bore huge calabashes 
of beer, under the weight of which some of them 
staggered, to the kraal. For the most part they 
were magnificent specimens of shapely young Kafir 
women. A tall handsome girl, who has been some- 
times begging at my waggon, was a looker-on, and 
presented a fine picture of a well-developed savage 
' A sister of tlic king's. 
JI 
