

FAKEWELL TO SHINTE. 325 



see the extravagance of which he was about to be guilty, he drew 

 out from his clothing a string of beads, and the end of a conical 

 shell, which is considered, in regions far from the sea, of as great 

 value as the Lord Major's badge is in London. He hung it 

 round my neck, and said, "There, now you have a proof of my 

 friendship." 



My men informed me that these shells are so highly valued in 

 this quarter, as evidences of distinction, that for two of them a 

 slave might be bought, and five would be considered a handsome 

 price for an elephant's tusk worth ten pounds. At our last inter- 

 view old Shinte pointed out our pincipal guide, Intemese, a man 

 about fifty, who was, he said, ordered to remain by us till we should 

 reach the sea ; that I had now left Sekeletu far behind, and must 

 henceforth look to Shinte alone for aid, and that it would always 

 be most cheerfully rendered. This was only a polite way of ex- 

 pressing his wishes for my success. It was the good words only 

 of the guides which were to aid me from the next chief, Katema, 

 on to the sea ; they were to turn back on reaching him ; but he 

 gave a good supply of food for the journey before us, and, after 

 mentioning as a reason for letting us go even now that no one 

 could say we had been driven away from the town, since we had 

 been several days with him, he gave a most hearty salutation, and 

 we parted with the wish that God might bless him. 



