MOHENI 
111 
from Moheni, two buxom-looking girls each brought a large pot 
of beer and placed them before him, kneeling to taste the liquor 
in proof of its being sound—a 
custom prevailing amongst all the 
originating out of some occasion 
on which a chief was poisoned. I 
drank out of both pots as they 
were handed to me, the second after the first was empty, 
and passed them on to Franz, whose thirst apparently was not 
affected by the novelty of his position. Doing justice to his 
appreciation of this hospitality, and his capacity in the beer¬ 
drinking line in the same breath, Franz, a master of native 
manners, handed the pot back to me, and, after another pull, I 
passed it to Moheni, who, after satisfying his requirements, allowed 
it to circulate amongst his followers, the last man politely asking 
if I required any more before he finished it. The idea at this 
ceremony is to cement friendship, and that, through a nicely 
thought-out form of politeness, the visitor becomes the host, dis¬ 
pensing the beer to the donors, who assume the second place. 
When confidence in us was established, I invited Moheni to 
visit our camp, and soon after I had returned he came over, 
begging that the donkeys should be kept at a distance. But on 
this score we soon allayed his fears by showing him how the 
boys jumped on their backs and rode about, and all ended in a 
laugh. It is easily understood how natives, knowing no larger 
domestic animal than goats, while thoroughly understanding the 
vice inherent in quaggas, the nearest approach to donkeys they 
had ever seen, should get the idea that these 
animals when trained for the purpose might 
be extremely dangerous. And when the really 
unusual bray of these beasts is cast in the 
scale against them the opinion does not seem 
altogether stupid. 
moheni’s man ; With Moheni came several of his giants, 
one man in particular exciting our admiration by his huge 
tribes of South Africa, and probably 
