CROP OP WOOL- 
189 
bogged, I asked himsolf, and found that it was the case, 
a ad that he had given spontaneously. 
Quondondo’s head was a good specimen of the greater 
crop of wool with which the negroes of Londa are fur 
nishod. The front was parted in the middlo, and plaited 
into two thick rolls, which, falling down behind the oars, 
reached the shoulders : the rest was collected into a large 
knot, which lay on tho nape of the neck. As ho was an 
intelligent man, wo had much conversation together; he 
had just come from attending tho funeral of ono of hia 
pooplo, and I found that tho great amount of drum-boating 
which takes place on these occasions was with tho idea 
that tho Bari mo, or spirits, could be drummed to sleep. 
There is a drum in every village, and we often hear it going 
from sunset to sunrise. They seem to look upon the de- 
parted as vindictive beings, and, I suspect, are more in- 
fluenced by fear than by love. In beginning to speak on 
religious subjects with thoso who have never heard of Chris- 
tianity, tho great fact of tho Son of God having come down 
from heaven to die for us is tho prominent theme. No fact 
more striking can be mentioned. “ ilo actually came to 
men. Ho himself told us about his Father and the dwell- 
ing-place whither he has gone. We have his words in this 
book, and he really endured punishment in our stead from 
pure love,” &c. If this fails to interest them, nothing elsa 
will succeed. 
We bore met with some poople juBt arrived from the 
town of Matiamvo, (Muata yanvo,) who had been sent to 
announce tho doath of tho lato chieftain of that name. 
Matiamvo is the hereditary title, muata meaning lord or 
chief. The lato Matiamvo seems, from tho report of these 
men, to have become insane, for he is said to have some- 
times indulged the whim of running a muck in the town 
and beheading whomsoever ho mot, until he had quite • 
heap of human heads. Matiamvo explained this conduct 
by saying that his people were too many, and he wanted 
to diminish them. Ho bad absolute power of life and death. 
