Chaga. ' 385 
he perhaps intended no harm, Muinyi Mbuana, fearing 
mischief, sprang to his side, and took hold of his arm. 
The mange threw him off as if he had been a child ; 
again swung the club over his head, again yelled 
out the song, and looked more terrible than before. 
Muinyi Mbuana once more grasped his arm, and 
after a while the madman cooled down. As nothing 
was to be done with him in such a state I returned to 
my own camp. 
Early on the following morning the guide came 
with a message from the mange, the purport of which 
was as follows : The mange is surprised that you 
have not as yet presented him with the least thing. 
He says that he has seen and heard much, but that is 
not enough ; he wants to know what you have to give 
him." 
We had put out the presents we intended for him 
the preceding night ; so I said to the guide, You know 
what we have to give, let the matter be settled at 
once." But the guide was nervous, and trembled from 
head to foot. Suddenly leaving me, he returned in a 
few minutes with a number of Wasuahili, all of whom, 
pretending the utmost anxiety for my welfare, begged 
me to do the best I could for the chief. What was 
the matter } Were we going to offend the chief by 
making him a present } I could not understand it. 
The truth is, the guide thought I was not giving 
enough, and was afraid that the chief would take 
umbrage. It was represented to me that it was most 
important that I should please the chief at starting ; 
that in Chaga the first gift would either kill or cure ; 
that nothing was expected from strangers afterwards, 
etc., etc. I added a few trifles to the articles I had 
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