262 SUPERSTITIOUS NATIVES. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



nth January, 1854. — On starting this morning, Samoana 

 (or rather Nyamoana, for the ladies are the chiefs here) 

 presented a string of beads, and a shell highly valued 

 among them, as an atonement for having assisted Ma- 

 nenko, as they thought, to vex me the day before. They 

 seemed anxious to avert any evil which might arise from 

 my displeasure ; but having replied that I never kept 

 up my anger all night, they were much pleased to see 

 me satisfied. We had to cross, in a canoe, a stream which 

 flows past the village of Nyamoana. Manenko's doctor 

 waved some charms over her, and she took some in her 

 hand and on her body before she ventured upon the 

 water. One of my men spoke rather loudly when near 

 the doctor's basket of medicines. The doctor reproved 

 him, and always spoke in a whisper himself, glancing 

 back to the basket as if afraid of being heard by some- 

 thing therein. So much superstition is quite unknown 

 in the south, and is mentioned here to show the difference 

 in the feelings of this new people, and the comparative 

 want of reverence on these points among Caffres and 

 Bechuanas. 



Manenko was accompanied by her husband and her 

 drummer ; the latter continued to thump most vigor- 

 ously, until a heavy drizzling mist set in and compelled 

 him to desist. Her husband used various incantations 

 and vociferations to drive away the rain, but down it 

 poured incessantly, and on our Amazon went, in the 

 very lightest marching order, and at a pace that few of 

 the men could keep up with. Being on ox-back, I kept 

 pretty close to our leader, and asked her why she did not 

 clothe herself during the rain, and learned that it is not 

 considered proper for a chief to appear effeminate. He 

 or she must always wear the appearance of robust youth, 

 and bear vicissitudes without wincing. My men, in 

 admiration of her pedestrian powers, every now and 

 then remarked, " Manenko is a soldier ; " and thoroughly 

 wet and cold, we were all glad when she proposed a halt 

 to prepare our night's lodging on the banks of a stream. 



The country through which we were passing was the 

 same succession of forest and open lawns as formerly 



