386 Wanderings in Eastern Africa. 
already put out, not enough to please my Wasuahili 
advisers, but I refused to do any more. We then 
proceeded to the court. 
Business was not commenced at once, for the mange 
wished to show me to some of his ladies. Two of 
them were brought into court to see and be seen, but 
they were not formally introduced to me. They came 
into the room timidly creeping along, as though they 
apprehended some danger. They had scarcely courage 
to look at me, to say nothing of speaking to me. 
Both were very young girls, considerably under twenty 
years of age, and were not Mandara s wives, but his 
playthings. They had but little beauty to boast of, 
being short, thick, bullet-headed figures ; though, from 
being well fed and over pampered in every way, they 
were round, sleek, and well-conditioned. They were 
as much like each other as two peas. 
The ladies having looked at me to their entire 
satisfaction and taken their departure, our presents 
were laid before the chief One by one the articles 
were exhibited, the chief eyeing them with a side 
glance almost contemptuously. The mkugenzi 
trembled worse than ever; Muinyi Mbuana was 
glum ; I was silent. At length the guide made a 
speech, which was the meanest, the most servile thing 
of the kind I ever heard. I felt greatly humiliated, 
and therefore interposed with, " I do not wish the 
mange to be deceived. I have not come to Moche to 
purchase his favour, for my object is not to obtain 
anything for myself. I have come as a friend, bringing 
to Chaga what I believed to be God's greatest gift. 
Let the mange, therefore, look at the matter in its 
right light. The articles before him are all I have to 
\ 
