212 NAXGORO PAYS US A VISIT. [chap. vn. 



amazingly fat old fellow laboured along ; he was veiy 

 short of breath, and had hardly au}i;hing on his 

 person. This was the king himself. He waddled up 

 looking very severe, and stood in the middle of his 

 men staling at us, and leaning on a thin stick very 

 neatly shaped, that he seemed to carry about as a 

 sceptre. I hardly knew what to do or what to say, 

 for he took no notice of an elegant bow that I made to 

 him, so I sat down and continued writing my journal 

 till the royal mind was satisfied. After five or six 

 min utes Nangoro walked up, gave a gi'unt of appro- 

 bation, and poked liis sceptre into my ribs in a friendly 

 sort of manner, and then sat down. He could, I believe, 

 understand Damara well enough, but he persisted in 

 making Chik interpret for me into Ovampo. Xangoro 

 had quite a miniature court about him; three par- 

 ticularly insinuating and well-dressed Ovampo were 

 his attendants in waiting; they were always at his 

 elbow and laughed immoderately whenever he said 

 anything fimny, and looked gTave and respectful 

 whenever he uttered anything wise, all in the easiest 

 and most natiu'al manner. I gave Nangoro the things 

 that I had brought as a present for him, regretting 

 excessively that I could spare him nothing better. In 

 fact all my gilt finery was but little cared for by these 

 people. It would look as outi'e for an Ovampo to wear 

 any peculiar ornament as it would for an Englishman 

 to do so. The sway of fashion is quite as strong 

 among the negroes as among the whites; and my 

 position was that of a traveller in Europe, who had 

 nothing to pay his hotel bill with but a box full of 



