Char. XV. SHEAKONDO AND HIS PEOPLE. 185 



explanation usually elicits the expression, "Truly! ye are 

 gods ! " 



When about to leave the Makondo, one of my men dreamed 

 that Mosantu was imprisoned in a stockade ; this dream 

 depressed the spirits of the party, and when I appeared in the 

 morning they were sitting the pictures of abject sorrow. I 

 asked if we were to be guided by dreams, and ordered them 

 to load the boats at once ; they seem ashamed to confess their 

 fears ; but at last they entered the canoes, and got a good 

 scolding for being inclined to put dreams before authority. 

 It rained all the morning ; about eleven we reached the 

 village of Sheakondo, and sent a message to the head-man, 

 who soon appeared with two wives bearing handsome 

 presents of manioc : he could speak the language of the 

 Barotse fluently, and seemed awe-struck when told some of 

 the " words of God." He manifested no fear, but spoke 

 frankly, and, when he made an asseveration, did so by simply 

 pointing up to the sky. The Balonda cultivate the manioc, or 

 cassava, as well as dura, ground-nuts, beans, maize, sweet 

 potatoes, and yams, here called " lekoto." 



The people who came with Sheakondo had some of their 

 teeth filed to a point by way of beautifying them ; they were 

 generally tattooed in various parts, but chiefly on the ab- 

 domen, the skin being raised in small elevated cicatrices, so 

 as to form a star, or some other device. The dark colour of 

 the skin prevents any colouring matter being deposited in 

 these figures, but they love to have the whole of their bodies 

 anointed with a comfortable varnish of oil. They generally 

 depend on supplies of oil from the Palma-Christi, or castor- 

 oil-plant, or from various other oleiferous seeds, but they are 

 all excessively fond of clarified butter, or ox fat, when they 

 can get it. Sheakondo's old wife presented some manioc- 

 roots, and then politely requested to be anointed with butter : 

 I gave her as much as would suffice, and in the absence of 

 clothing I can readily believe that her comfort was enhanced 

 thereby. The favourite wife, who was also present, was 

 equally anxious for butter. She had a profusion of iron rings 

 on her ankles, to which were attached little pieces of sheer- 

 iron, to enable her to make a tinkling as she walked in hei 

 mincing African style. 



