INTERVIEW WITH FEMALE CHIEF. 255 



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 being present and 

 seeing it, as if the sight of human eyes could dissolve 

 the poison, and act as a charm. 



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

 female chief, named Nyamoana, who is said to be the 

 mother of Manenko, and sister of Shinte or Kabompo, 

 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, Samo- 

 ana, was clothed in a kilt of green and red baize, and 

 was armed with a spear, and a broad-sword of antique 

 form about eighteen inches long and three broad. The 

 chief and her husband were sitting on skins, placed in 

 the middle of a circle, thirty paces in diameter, a little 

 raised above the ordinary level of the ground, and having 

 a trench round it. Outside the trench sat about a hundred 

 persons of all ages and both sexes : the men were well 

 armed with bows, arrows, spears, and broad-swords. 

 Beside the husband sat a rather aged woman, having 

 a bad outward squint in the left eye. We put down our 

 arms about forty yards off, and I walked up to the centre 

 of the circular bench, and saluted him in the usual way, 

 by clapping the hands together in their fashion. 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 I was asked who was 

 my spokesman. Having pointed to Kolimbota, who knew 

 their dialect best, the palaver began in due form. I 

 explained the real objects I had in view, without any 

 attempt to mystify or appear in any other character 

 than my own, for I have always been satisfied that, even 

 though there were no other considerations, the truthful 

 way of dealing with the uncivilised is unquestionably 

 the best. Kolimbota repeated to Nyamoana's talker 

 what I had said to him. He delivered it all verbatim 

 to her husband, who repeated it again to her. It was 

 thus all rehearsed four times over, in a tone loud 

 enough to be heard by the whole party of auditors. The 

 response came back by the same roundabout route, 

 beginning at the lady to her husband, &c. 



After explanations and re-explanations, I perceived 



