186 INTERVIEW WITH FEMALE CHIEF. Chap. XV. 



We had so much rain and cloud that I could not get a 

 single observation for longitude or latitude for a fortnight. 

 Yet the Leeba did not show any great rise, nor was its water 

 in the least discoloured. More rain had fallen in the east, for 

 the Zambesi was rising fast, and working against its sandy 

 banks so vigorously that a slight yellow tinge was perceptible 

 in it. The Leeba has remarkably few birds and fish, and the 

 alligators are more shy than in the Zambesi. The Balonda have 

 taught them to keep out of sight by their poisoned arrows, and 

 we did not see one basking in the sun. The Balonda set so 

 many traps for birds that few appear. I heard, however, 

 some new small birds of song on its banks. 



One of our men was bitten by a non-venomous serpent, and 

 of course felt no harm. The Barotse concluded that this was 

 owing to many of them seeing it, as if the sight of human eyes 

 could act as a charm against the poison. 



On the 6th of January we reached the village of another 

 lemale chief, named Nyamoana, who is said to be the mother 

 of Manenko, and sister of Shinte, the greatest Balonda chief 

 in this part of the country. Her people had but recently come 

 to the present locality, and had erected only twenty huts. 

 Her husband, Samoana, was clothed in a kilt of green and 

 red baize, and was arnied with a spear, and a broad-sword of 

 antique form. The chief and her husband were seated on 

 skins in the centre of a slightly elevated circle, surrounded 

 by a trench, outside which sat about a hundred persons of both 

 sexes, the men well armed with bows, arrows, spears, and 

 broadswords. Beside the husband sat a rather aged woman, 

 having a bad squint in her left e;ye. AVe deposited our arms 

 about forty yards off, and I saluted him in the usual way, by 

 clapping my hands. He pointed to his wife, as much as to 

 say, the honour belongs to her. I saluted her in the same 

 way, and, a mat having been brought, I squatted down in 

 front of them. 



The talker was then called, and 1 was asked who was my 

 spokesman. Having pointed to Kolimbota, who knew their 

 dialect best, the palaver began in due form. I explained my 

 real objects, for I have always been satisfied that the truthful 

 way of dealing with the uncivilised is unquestionably the 

 best. Kolimbota repeated what I had said to Nyamoana's 



