Chap. XVI. FAREWELL TO SHINTE. 301 



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

 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 Mayor's badge is in London. He 

 hmig 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 interview old Shinte pointed out our principal 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 expressing 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. 



