INDUCE THEM TO GET UP A NIGHT DANCE. 311 



or dull thirsty march in the hot sun with their song's, 

 jokes, and mimicr}-. 



One evening I was asked to join a party made up 

 for the purpose of witnessing a native dance. Man}- 

 strang-e blacks ^\'ere then encamped on the margin of 

 the beach, and altogether about 150 people belonging 

 to four or five tribes had collected. Not being 

 apprised of our coming they shewed much surprise 

 and suspicion at our landing after dark, but, with 

 some trouble, a number were induced by the pro- 

 mise of a quantity of biscuit to get up a dance round 

 a large fire on the sand to the music of a drum 

 which we had taken ^^'ith us to announce our ap- 

 proach. The dance after all was a very poor affair, — 

 none of the performers were painted and decorated, 

 there was little scenic effect, and they seemed glad 

 when it was over. The bag containing the pro- 

 mised biscuit was most injudiciously handed over to 

 an old woman named Baki, or " qneena woman 

 Bald" as some one had taught her to call herself, 

 for distribution among the party. She doled out a 

 few handfuls to some women and children who had 

 not been at all concerned in the matter, and would 

 have marched off \\\\h the remainder had she not been 

 pre\ented. The appointment of a woman to this 

 office ffa^'e PTeat offence to the men who had been 

 dancing", — while not one among" them i\'ould have 

 scrupled forcibly to deprive her of the Avhole on the 

 very first opportunity, yet every man there scorned 

 the idea of having to ash a woman for anything, — 



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