ALONE WITH CANNIBALS 
to the best of my belief, he was maintained by the 
villagers simply because of the amusement they got 
out of him. He had a mother alive who was quite 
sane, but he himself lived alone, and was very nervous 
about coming out to see the white man. ‘The tribes- 
men, however, were determined to show him off, and 
after a great deal of persuasion he was brought up to me. 
They made signs to him to dance, and this was 
evidently a common pastime, for, without the least 
reluctance, he began his performance, which was un- 
skilled enough and slightly repulsive. His dancing con- 
sisted of wobbling the head and feet at a tremendous 
rate and putting out his tongue. As soon as he began 
to show off, the Amana people sat down in front of 
him and enjoyed the spectacle. He took his mission 
of purveyor of diversion with deadly seriousness, and 
all the time he danced he made a strange mumbling 
noise. He was popular with the children also, and 
they would bring him out and set him dancing when- 
ever they felt dull. For clothes he wore the usual 
native costume of the mountains, except the tight 
belt, which was perhaps too much an adjunct of 
dandyism for this unfortunate to affect. Not only 
would he dance at the word of command, but he would 
take off all his clothes to order, and carrying his 
meagre garments over his arm, he would run from one 
end of the village to the other clapping his hands in 
slow time. It was considered superexcellent fun to 
make him dance with his clothes off, and all the time 
the Philistines made game of the poor creature, who, 
however, was no Samson! 
Another primitive jest was to give him unpalat- 
239 
