Chap. XVI. PRIVATE INTERVIEW WITH SHINTE. 201 



eyes off mo for a moment. I calculated that about a thousand 

 people were present, besides three hundred soldiers. 



ISth. — We were awakened during the night by a message 

 from Shinto, requesting a visit at a very unseasonable hour. 

 As I was just in the sweating stage of an intermittent fever, 

 I declined going, in spite of Kolimbota's earnest entreaties. 

 However, at ten next morning I went, and was led into the 

 courts of Shinte, the walls of which consisted of woven rods, 

 all very neat and high. Numerous trees, some of which had 

 been only recently planted, afforded a grateful shade ; while 

 sugar-cane and bananas, growing outside the enclosure, 

 spread their large light leaves over the walls. We took our 

 seat under the broad foliage of a Ficus indica, and Shinte 

 soon made his appearance. He seemed in good humour, and 

 said that he had expected yesterday "that a man who came 

 from the gods would have approached and talked to him." 

 That had been my intention, but when I saw the formidable 

 preparations, and his own men keeping at least forty yards 

 from him, I had remained by the tree opposite to that under 

 which he sat. His remark confirmed my previous belief that 

 a frank, open, fearless manner is the most winning with all 

 these Africans. I stated the object of my mission, and the 

 old gentleman clapped his hands in approbation. He replied 

 through a spokesman, and the company joined in the response 

 by also clapping their hands. After business was over I 

 asked if he had ever seen a white man before. He replied, 

 " Never ; you are the very first I have seen with a white 

 skin and straight hair; your clothing too is different from 

 any we have ever seen." 



On learning that " Shinte's mouth was bitter for want ol 

 ox-flesh," I presented him with an ox, to his great delight ; 

 and as his country is so well adapted for cattle, I advised him 

 to begin a trade in cattle with the Makololo. He profited by 

 the hint, for when we returned from Loanda we found that 

 he had got three beasts, one of which was more like a prize 

 heifer than any we had seen in Africa. Soon afterwards he 

 sent us baskets of boiled maize and of manioc-meal, and a 

 small fowl. The size of the maize and of the manioc shows 

 the fertility of the black soil of this country. We saw 

 manioc above six feet high, though it requires the very best soiL 



