214 WE GO TO A BALL. 



[CHAP. VII. 



dispositions, for they alwaj's stood in groups with 

 their arms round each other's necks like Canova's 

 graces. They hummed sentimental airs all day long, 

 swaying themselves about to the tune, and completely' 

 ruined the peace of mind of my too susceptible 

 attendants. I began to buj'' corn and beans from 

 them; the women brought small baskets full, often 

 only a handful each, and were paid in beads. I had 

 brought a bar of iron, half an inch thick, and fotir 

 feet long, that procured me 100 pounds of corn at 

 once. Timboo was the most successful bargainer ; he 

 sat in the middle among the beads, and twenty or 

 thirty corn-selling damsels crowded about him. He 

 was in his glory, chaffing and chattering in a most 

 original patois all the day long, for he had picked 

 up a few Ovampo words, and many of the Ovampo 

 knew a little of Damara. 



Every night Nangoro gives a ball, to which the elite 

 of Ovampo-land have a free entree. He kindly 

 sent me an invitation by Tij^poo, that one of his 

 three courtiers under whose protection we had been 

 especially placed. As soon as night sets in, the 

 guests throng togetlier from aU sides, and as the 

 country is full of palms, one member of each party 

 generally picks up a diied, broken-oif branch, and 

 lights it as a torch. It gives a brilHant flame, and the 

 effect of the many lights on every side is particularly 

 pretty. I went, about eight o'clock, down the sanded 

 walk, between quickset hedgerows, that leads to 

 Nangoro's palisading. When we had entered it, we 

 turned to the right, into the dancing-court, which was 



