DETAINED BY MANENKO. 301 



true oratorical style, belaboring her own servants as well for 

 allowing the offense, and, as usual in more civilized feminine 

 lectures, she leaned over the objects of her ire, and screamed 

 forth all their faults and failings ever since they were born, and 

 her despair of ever seeing them become better, until they were 

 all " killed by alligators." Masiko's people followed the plan of 

 receiving this torrent of abuse in silence, and, as neither we nor 

 they had any thing to eat, we parted next morning. In reference 

 to Masiko selling slaves to the Mambari, they promised to explain 

 the relationship which exists between even the most abject of his 

 people and our common Father; and that no more kidnapping 

 ought to be allowed, as he ought to give that peace and security 

 to the smaller tribes on his eastern borders which he so much 

 desired to obtain himself from the Makololo. We promised to 

 return through his town when we came back from the sea-coast. 



Manenko gave us some manioc roots in the morning, and had 

 determined to carry our baggage to her uncle's, Kabompo or 

 Shinte. We had heard a sample of what she could do with her 

 tongue ; and as neither my men nor myself had much inclination 

 to encounter a scolding from this black Mrs. Caudle, we made 

 ready the packages ; but she came and said the men whom she 

 had ordered for the service had not yet come ; they would arrive 

 to-morrow. Being on low and disagreeable diet, I felt annoyed 

 at this further delay, and ordered the packages to be put into the 

 canoes to proceed up the river without her servants ; but Manenko 

 was not to be circumvented in this way ; she came forward with 

 her people, and said her uncle would be angry if she did not carry 

 forward the tusks and goods of Sekeletu, seized the luggage, and 

 declared that she would cany it in spite of me. My men suc- 

 cumbed sooner to this petticoat government than I felt inclined 

 to do, and left me no power ; and, being unwilling to encounter 

 her tongue, I was moving off to the canoes, when she gave me a 

 kind explanation, and, with her hand on my shoulder, put on a 

 motherly look, saying, "Now, my little man, just do as the rest 

 have done." My feelings of annoyance of course vanished, and I 

 went out to try and get some meat. 



The only game to be found in these parts are the zebra, the 

 kualata or tahetsi (Aigoceros equina), kama (Bubalus caama), 

 buffaloes, and the small antelope hakitenwe {Philaniomba). 



