INTERVIEW WITH FEMALE CHIEF. 
155 
It rained all the morning, but about cloven wo reached the 
villago of Sheakondo, on a small stream named Lonkonyo. 
Wo sent a message to tho head-man, who soon appeared 
with two wives, bearing handsome presents of manioc: 
Sheakondo could speak tho languago of tho Barotso well, 
and seemed awe-struck when told somo of tho “words of 
God.” Ho manifested no fear, always spoko frankly, and 
when ho made an asseveration, did so by simply pointing 
up to tho sky above- him. 
Shoakondo’s old wifo presented somo manioc-roots, and 
then politely requested to bo anointed with buttor: as I 
had boon bountifully supplied by tho Makololo, I gave her 
as much as would suffice, and, as thoy havo little clothing, 
1 can readily believo that sho felt her comfort groatly 
enhanced thcroby. 
Tho favorite wifo, who was also present, was equally 
anxious for butter. Sho had a profusion of iron rings on 
her ankles, to which wore attached little pieces of sheot- 
iron, to enable her to make a tinkling as sho walked in her 
mincing African stylo; tho same thing is thought pretty 
by our own dragoons in walking jauntingly. 
On tho 6th of January wo reached tho villago of another 
femaio chief, named Nyamoana, who is said to be tho 
mother of Manenko, and sister of Shinte or Ivabompo, tho 
greatest Balonda chief in this part of tho country. Her 
people had but recently come to tho present locality, and 
had orocted only twenty huts. Her husband, Samoana, 
was clothed in a kilt of green and red baizo, and was armed 
with a spear and a broadsword of antique form, about 
eighteon inches long and throe broad. Tho chief and hor 
husband were sitting on skins placed in tho middle of a 
circlo thirty paces in diametor, a little raised above the 
ordinary level of the ground, and having a trench round it. 
Outsido the trench sat about a hundred persons of all ages 
and both sexes. Tho men were well armed with bows, 
arrows, spears, and broadswords. Beside tho husband sat 
a rather aged woman having a bad outw T ard squint in the 
