NAIVE CUNNING OF THE NATIVES 313 



number, forming a wide crescent, and gazing in wondering 

 awe at my suspicious proceedings. No one dared come quite 

 close to me, but threatening remarks were shouted out which 

 I did not understand, and of which I took no notice at first. 

 This went on for about an hour, when the cries and shouts 

 becoming louder and more urgent, I began to get worried 

 by them. So I left my instrument where it was and went to 

 fetch an interpreter, whilst the natives remained squatted on 

 the ground staring at the uncann^^-looking three-legged object. 

 When I came back with my man, and inquired through him 

 what all the noise was about, a white-haired old fellow informed 

 me that his people wanted to know what I was doing there. 

 Was I bewitching their country ? I answered, laughing, that I 

 was not bewitching their country, onl}^ eating their mountains ; 

 did they not see that they were smaller already ? The answer 

 seemed to pacify them, for soon afterwards they all went 

 away. 



I must also describe another interesting scene which took 

 place later in camp, as it illustrates well the naive cunning of 

 the natives. The Count and I were sitting smoking our pipes 

 outside our tents as the sun was setting, when four natives 

 appeared and squatted down opposite to us. At first they only 

 whispered softly to each other and cast longing glances at us. 

 We guessed they were thinking of our beads, and pretended not 

 to notice them. Then they tried to call our attention to them, 

 and began making remarks about our ape Hamis, who was 

 playing tricks near the tent. ' Ah, ah, ah ! ' said one, ' mundo 

 huyo ? ' ('Is that a man ? ') ' JSTo,' answered another, ' he eats 

 and drinks and smokes like a man (Hamis had just run off with 

 the Count's pipe and was pufiing at it on the top of the tent), 

 but he is no real man.' So they went on repeating this question 

 and answer till they thought the time had come for appealing 

 to us, and one of them said : 



