Chap. XYI. 
CHAKMS. 
281 
CHAPTEE XYI. 
Nyamoana’s presentCharms ^—Manenko’s pedestrian powers — An idol — 
Balouda arms — Bain --- Hunger Palisades — Dense forests — Artificial 
beehives'—Mushrooms — Villagers lend the roofs of their houses — Divi¬ 
nation and idols — Manenko’s whims—A night-alarm — Shinte’s mes¬ 
sengers and present-^— The proper way to approach a village — A merman 
— Enter Shinte’s town: its appearance—-Meet two half-caste slave- 
traders-—The Makololo scorn them —The Balonda real negroes — Grand 
reception from Shinte — His kotla — Ceremony of introduction — The 
orators — Women — Musicians and musical instruments — A disagreeable 
request — Private interview with Shinte — Give him an ox — Fertility of 
soil —Manenko’s new hut — Conversation with Shinte — Kolimbota’s 
jjroposal — Balonda punctiliousness — Selling children — Kidnapping — 
Shinte’s offer of a slave — Magic-lantern—^ Alarm of women — Delay — 
Sambanza returns intoxicated — The last and greatest j)roof of Shinte’s 
friendship. 
11th January, 1854.—On starting this morning, Samoana (or 
rather Xyamoana, for the ladies are the cliiefs here) presented a 
string of beads, and a shell highly valued among them, as an 
atonement for having assisted Manenko, as they thought, to vex 
me the day before. They seemed anxious to avert any evil 
which might arise from my displeasm^e; but having replied that 
I never kept up my anger all night, they were much pleased to 
see me satisfied. We had to cross, in a canoe, a stream wliich 
flows past the village of Xyamoana. Manenko’s doctor waved 
some charms over her, and she took some in her hand and on 
her body before she ventured upon the water. One of my men 
spoke rather loudly when near the doctor’s basket of medicines. 
The doctor reproved him, and always spoke in a whisper himself, 
glancing back to the basket as if afraid of being heard by some¬ 
thing therein. So much superstition is quite unknown in the 
south, and is mentioned here to show the difference in the feel¬ 
ings of this new people, and the comparative want of reverence 
on these points among Caffires and Bechuanas. 
Manenko was accompanied by her husband and her drum¬ 
mer; the latter continued to thump most vigorously, until a 
heavy drizzling mist set in and compelled him to desist. Her 
