274 
COUET ETIQUETTE. 
Chap. XV^ 
swords. Beside the husband sat a rather aged woman, having a 
bad outward squint in the left eye. We put down our arms 
about forty yards off, and I walked up to the centre of the 
circular bench, and saluted him in the usual way, by clapping 
the hands together in their fashion. He pointed to his wife, as 
much as to say, the honour belongs to her. I saluted her in the 
same way, and, a mat having been brought, I squatted down in 
front of them. 
The talker was then called, and I was asked who was my 
spokesman. Having pointed to Kolimbota, who knew their 
dialect best, the palaver began in due form. I explained the 
real objects I had in view, without any attempt to mystify or 
appear in any other character than my own, for I ha’ve always 
been satisfied that, even though there were no other consi¬ 
derations, the trutliful way of dealing with the uncivilised is 
unquestionably the best. Kolimbota repeated to Kyamoana’s 
talker what I had said to him. He delivered it all verbatim to 
her husband, who repeated it again to her. It was thus all 
rehearsed four times over, in a tone loud enough to be heard by 
the whole party of auditors. The response came back by the 
same roundabout route, beginning at the lady to her hus¬ 
band, &c. 
After explanations and re-explanations, I perceived that our 
new friends were mixing up my message of peace and friendship 
with Makololo affahrs, and stated, that it was not delivered on the 
authority of any one less than that of their Creator, and that, if 
the Makololo did again break His laws and attack the Balonda, 
the guilt would rest with the Makololo and not with me. The 
palaver then came to a close. 
By way of gaining their confidence, I showed them my hair, 
which is considered a curiosity in all this region. They said, 
Is that hair ? It is the mane of a Hon, and not hair at all,” 
Some thought that I had made a wig of Hon’s mane, as they 
sometimes do with the fibres of the “ ife,” and dye it black, and 
twist it, so as to resemble a mass of their own wool. I could not 
return the joke, by telling them that theirs was not hair but 
the wool of sheep, for they have none of tliese in the country; 
and even though they had, as Herodotus remarked, the African 
sheep are clothed with hair, and men’s heads with wool.” So I 
