RECEPTION BY SHINTE. 315 



They are generally very dark in color, but several are to be 

 seen of a lighter hue ; many of the slaves who have been ex- 

 ported to Brazil have gone from this region ; but while they 

 have a general similarity to the typical negro, I never could, 

 from my own observation, think that our ideal negro, as seen in 

 tobacconists' shops, is the true type. A large proportion of the 

 Balonda, indeed, have heads somewhat elongated backward and 

 upward, thick lips, flat noses, elongated ossa calces, etc., etc. ; but 

 there are also many good-looking, well-shaped heads and persons 

 among them. 



11th, Tuesday. We were honored with a grand reception by 

 Shinte about eleven o'clock. Sambanza claimed the honor of 

 presenting us, Manenko being slightly indisposed. The native 

 Portuguese and Mambari went fully armed with guns, in order 

 to give Shinte a salute ; their drummer and trumpeter making all 

 the noise that very old instruments would produce. The kotla, 

 or place of audience, was about a hundred yards square, and 

 two graceful specimens of a species of banian stood near one 

 end ; under one of these sat Shinte, on a sort of throne covered 

 with a leopard's skin. He had on a checked jacket, and a kilt of 

 scarlet baize edged with green ; many strings of large beads hung 

 from his neck, and his limbs were covered with iron and copper 

 armlets and bracelets ; on his head he wore a helmet made of 

 beads woven neatly together, and crowned with a great bunch of 

 goose-feathers. Close to him sat three lads with large sheaves 

 of arrows over their shoulders. 



When we entered the kotla, the whole of Manenko's party 

 saluted Shinte by clapping their hands, and Sambanza did 

 obeisance by rubbing his chest and arms with ashes. One of 

 the trees being unoccupied, I retreated to it for the sake of the 

 shade, and my whole party did the same. We were now about 

 forty yards from the chief, and could see the whole ceremony. 

 The different sections of the tribe came forward in the same waj r 

 that we did, the head man of each making obeisance with ashes 

 which he carried with him for the purpose ; then came the sol- 

 diers, all armed to the teeth, running and shouting toward us, 

 with their swords drawn, and their faces screwed up so as to ap 

 pear as savage as possible, for the purpose, I thought, of trying 

 whether they could not make us take to our heels. As we did 



