170 A JOURNEY UP THE RIVER CONGO. 
a leopard stole up behind him unawares, jumped on his 
back, and strangled him before the King could ery for 
help. To avoid such a catastrophe in future, the following 
ceremony was instituted by his successor. Before the 
King is about to drink, he imposes silence on the people 
assembled by snapping his fingers towards them and 
crying “ Ma” (“ma” is an exclamation to call attention 
to anything: it is used to dogs). A wife is crouched 
behind him, a little boy on his left hand. The wife then 
also calls “Ma,” and clasps her lord tightly round the 
stomach with both hands. The little boy covers his face 
with one hand, and claps the other continually on his 
extended leg. Then the King, sticking the first finger of 
his left hand into his throat, below the ear, with the right 
hand raises the glass and drinks. After he has quenched 
his thirst he passes his hand across his mouth, and then 
points with his first finger in the direction where he next 
intends to levy war. When he has not any quarrel 
immediately on hand, he simply points his finger upwards ; 
then snaps his finger, says “ Ma” again, and the ceremony 
is at an end and talking is resumed. All the details of 
this tiring performance were carefully gone through whilst 
Ibaka drank the malafu in our presence; but I should 
think the constant repetition of this ritual every time he 
drinks must be very wearying to the flesh. Orban tells 
me, however, that on occasions of hurry or emergency 
there is a sort of shorter service, when it suffices the King 
to be in absolute darkness, like a sensitive “ negative,” to 
quench his thirst without going through the more elaborate 
ceremonies observed on other occasions. Ibaka’s hat is a 
very remarkable one. There is literally more in it than 
meets the eye, for within this capacious receptacle much 
“cloth” and all his most special and private valuables are 
stored. This extraordinary structure, which is made out 
of plaited grass, never leaves Ibaka’s head more than once 
a twelvemonth, “for our annual cleaning,” and he wears 
it day and night. “ Uneasy lies the head that wears a 
crown.” The decorations of Ibaka’s hat are of exotic 
origin. The lizards are cut out of tinfoil, and manu- 
4 
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