263 MANENKO'S WHIMS. 



betake themselves to their idols only when in perplexity 

 and danger. 



Whilst delayed, by Manenko's management, among the 

 Balonda villages, a little to the south of the town of 

 Shinte, we were well supplied by the villagers with sweet 

 potatoes and green maize ; Sambanza went to his mother's 

 village for supplies of other food. I was labouring under 

 fever, and did not find it very difficult to exercise patience 

 with her whims ; but it being Saturday, I thought we 

 might as well go to the town for Sunday (15th). " No ; 

 her messenger must return from her uncle first." Being 

 sure that the answer of the uncle would be favourable, I 

 thought we might go on at once, and not lose two days in 

 the same spot. " No, it is our custom ; " and everything 

 else I could urge was answered in the genuine pertinacious 

 lady style. She ground some meal for me with her own 

 hands, and, when she brought it, told me she had actually 

 gone to a village and begged corn for the purpose. She 

 said this with an air as if the inference must be drawn by 

 even a stupid white man: "I know how to manage, 

 don't I ? " It was refreshing to get food which could be 

 eaten without producing the unpleasantness described by 

 the Rev. John Newton, of St. Mary's, Woolnoth, London, 

 when obliged to eat the same roots while a slave in the 

 West Indies. The day (January 14th) for a wonder was 

 fair, and the sun shone, so as to allow us to dry our 

 clothing and other goods, many of which were mouldy and 

 rotten from the long- continued damp. The guns rusted, 

 in spite of being oilecl every evening. 



During the night we were all awakened by a terrific 

 shriek from one of Manenko's ladies. She piped out so 

 loud and long that we all imagined she had been seized by 

 a Hon, and my men snatched up their arms, which they 

 always place so as to be ready at a moment's notice, and 

 ran to the rescue ; but we found the alarm had been 

 caused by one of the oxen thrusting his head into her hut, 

 and smelling her : she had put her hand on his cold wet 

 nose, and thought it was all over with her. 



On Sunday afternoon messengers arrived from Shinte, 

 expressing his approbation of the objects we had in view 

 in our journey through his country, and that he was glad 

 of the prospect of a way being opened by which white 

 men might visit him, and allow him to purchase ornaments 

 at pleasure. Manenko now threatened in sport to go on, 



