508 
BEN HABIB’S PROPOSAL. 
Chap. XXV. 
and dry regions. Some idea may be formed of the beat in 
October by the fact, that the thermometer (protected) stood, in 
the shade of my waggon, at 100° through the day. It rose to 110° 
if unprotected from the wind, at dark it showed 89°, at 10 o’clock 
80°, and then gradually sunk tiU sunrise, when it was 70°. That 
is usually the period of greatest cold in each twenty-four hours, in 
this region. The natives during the period of greatest heat keep 
in their huts, which are always pleasantly cool by day, but 
close and suffocating by night. Those who are able to afford 
it, sit guzzling beer or boyaloa; the perspiration produced by 
copious draughts seems to give enjoyment, the evaporation causing 
a feeling of coolness. The attendants of the chief, on these occa¬ 
sions, keep up a continuous roar of bantering, raiUery, laughing, 
and swearing. The dance is kept up, in the moonlight, tdl past 
midnight. The women stand clapping their hands continu¬ 
ously, and the old men sit admirmgly, and say, “It is really 
very fine! ” As crowds came to see me, I employed much of my 
time in conversation, that being a good mode of conveying in¬ 
struction. In the public meetmgs for worsliip the people listened 
very attentively, and behaved with more decorum than formerly. 
They really form a very inviting field for a missionary. Siu^ely 
the oft-told tale of the goodness and love of our Heavenly Father, 
in giving up His own Son to death for us sinners, wiU, by the power 
of His Holy Spirit, beget love in some of these heathen hearts. 
Is^ October .—Before Ben Habib started for Loanda, he asked 
the daughter of Sebituane in marriage. This is the plan the Arabs 
adopt for gaining infiuence in a tribe, and they have been known 
to proceed thus cautiously to form connections, and gTaduaUy gain 
so much infiuence, as to draw all the tribe over to theh* religion. 
I never heard of any persecution, although the Arabs with whom I 
came in contact seemed much attached to their religion. This 
daughter of Sebituane, named Manchunyane, was about twelve 
years of age. As I was the bosom friend of her father, I was sup¬ 
posed to have a voice in her disposal, and, on being asked, objected 
to her being taken away, we knew not whither, and where we 
might never see her again. As her name implies, she was only a 
little black, and, besides being as fair as any of the Arabs, had 
quite the Arab featoes; but I have no doubt that Ben Habib 
will renew his suit more successfully on some other occasion. In 
