316 RECEPTION BY SHINTE. 



not, they turned round toward Shinte and saluted him, then re- 

 tired. When all had come and were seated, then began the 

 curious capering usually seen in pichos. A man starts up, and 

 imitates the most approved attitudes observed in actual fight, 

 as throwing one javelin, receiving another on the shield, spring- 

 ing to one side to avoid a third, running backward or forward, 

 leaping, etc. This over, Sambanza and the spokesman of Ny- 

 amoana stalked backward and forward in front of Shinte, and 

 gave forth, in a loud voice, all they had been able to learn, 

 either from myself or people, of my past history and connec- 

 tion 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 Makololo that first, for the Balonda never 

 attacked them, yet they had assailed the Balonda: perhaps he 

 is fibbing, perhaps 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, besides a pro- 

 fusion 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 ex- 

 pressed approbation by clapping their hands, and laughing to dif- 

 ferent speakers ; and Shinte frequently 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 



