172 RECEPTION BY SHINTE. 



Nyamoana stalked backward and forward in front -A 

 Shinte, and gave forth, in a loud voice, all they had been 

 able to learn, either from myself or people, of my past his- 

 tory and connection with the Makololo ; the return of the 

 captives; the wish to open the country to trade; the Bible 

 as a word from heaven; the white man's desire for the 

 tribes to live in peace : he ought to have taught the Ma- 

 kololo that first, for the Balonda never attacked them, yet 

 they had assailed the Balonda : perhaps he is fibbing, per- 

 haps not : they rather thought he was ; but as the Balonda 

 had good hearts, and Shinte had never done harm to any 

 one, he had better receive the white man well, and send 

 him on his way. Sambanza was gayly attired, and, be- 

 sides a profusion of beads, had a cloth so long that a boy 

 carried it after him as a train. 



Behind Shinte sat about a hundred women, clothed in 

 their best, which happened to be a profusion of red baize. 

 The chief wife of Shinte, one of the Matebele or Zulus, sat 

 in front with a curious red cap on her head. During the 

 intervals between the speeches, these ladies burst forth 

 into a sort of plaintive ditty; but it was impossible for any 

 of us to catch whether it was in praise of the speaker, of 

 Shinte, or of themselves. This was the first time I had 

 ever seen females present in a public assembly. In the 

 south the women are not permitted to enter the kotla, 

 and, even when invited to come to a religious service there, 

 would not enter until ordered to do so by the chief; but 

 here they expressed their approbation by clapping their 

 hands and laughing to different speakers; and Shinte fre- 

 quently turned round and spoke to them. 



A party of musicians, consisting of three drummers and 

 four performers on the piano, went round the kotla several 

 times, regaling us with their music. Their drums are 

 neatly carved from the trunk of a tree, and have a small 

 hole in the side covered with a bit of spider's web : the 

 ends are covered with the skin of an antelope pegged on ; 

 and, when they wish to tighten it, they hold it to the fira 



