BETWEEN ANGOLA AND THE ZAMBESI. 
521 
cupboards, and other household receptacles. The store¬ 
houses only differ from the dwelling-houses in being 
raised upon stakes a couple of yards high, and therefore 
out of the reach of the inundations of the river. 
On one of the small islands above referred to a little 
group of buildings constitutes the residence of the Sova 
Moene Cari-eu-hue. One hut is occupied by himself, 
four more are assigned to his four wives, and the rest 
are store-houses. I observed near the chiefs own 
habitation a kind of rustic trophy, composed of the 
skulls and horns of animals and other spoils of the 
chase. The Sova received me very graciously, he 
having two of his favourites by his side. No sooner 
was I seated than my interpreter and one of the 
favourites commenced vigorously clapping the palms of 
their hands together, after which, scraping up a little 
earth, they rubbed it on the breast, and repeated many 
times, in a rapid way, the words bamba and caluncja, 
terminating with another clapping of hands, not quite 
so vigorous as before. This completed the ceremony of 
introduction. The chief expressed a wish to see my 
boat, and made a little excursion in it upon the river. 
His wonder at the boating power of this portable canoe 
knew no bounds ; and again and again he urged upon 
me not to sell any such to the Ambuellas of the 
Cubangui, for that, if I did, he and his people were lost. 
I pacified him on this head by the assurance that the 
whites did not wdsli for war between them, and would 
take all possible care not to furnish them with the 
means of waging it. On our return to his island-home 
he sent for a calabash of bingundo and a tin cup, to¬ 
gether with a pot of Lisbon marmalade, left there by 
some Bilieno trader during one of his business journeys. 
Having filled the cup, the chief allowed some drops of 
the foaming liquid to fall upon the ground, and, 
covering the place with damp earth, he drank off the 
contents without drawing breath. The interpreter 
having informed him that I only drank water, he passed 
the calabash round to his favourites, who lost no time 
in disposing of what was left in it. 
