156 COURT ETIQUETTE. 



(eft eye. We put down our arms about forty yards off, and 

 [ walked up to the centre of the circular bench, and saluted 

 aim in the usual way by clapping the hands together in 

 their fashion. He pointed to his wife, as much as to say, 

 The honor belongs to her. I saluted her in the same way, 

 and, a mat having been brought, I squatted down in front 

 of them. 



The talker was then called, and I was asked who was 

 my spokesman. Having pointed to Kolimbota, who knew 

 their dialect best, the palaver began in due form. I ex- 

 plained the real objects I had in view, without any attempt 

 to mystify or appear in any other character than ray own, 

 for I have always been satisfied that, even though there 

 were no other considerations, the truthful way of dealing 

 with the uncivilized is unquestionably the best. Kolimbota 

 repeated to Nyamoana's talker what I had said to him. 

 He delivered it all verbatim to her husband, who repeated 

 it again to her. It was thus all rehearsed four times over, 

 in a tone loud enough to be heard by the whole party of 

 auditors. The response came back by the same round- 

 about route, beginning at the lady to her husband, &c. 



After explanations and re-explanations, I perceived that 

 our new friends were mixing up my message of peace and 

 friendship with Makololo affairs, and stated that it was 

 not delivered on the authority of any one less than that 

 of their Creator, and that if the Makololo did again break 

 his laws and attack the Balonda, the guilt would rest with 

 the Makololo and not with me. The palaver then came to 

 a close. 



By way of gaining their confidence, I showed them my 

 hair, which is considered a curiosity in all this region. They 

 said, " Is that hair? It is the mane of a lion, and not hair 

 at all." Some thought that I had made a wig of lion's 

 mane, as they sometimes do with fibres of the " ife," and 

 dye it black and twist it so as to resemble a mass of then 

 own wool. I could not return the joke by telling them 

 that theirs was not hair, but the wool of sheep, for they 



