292 
THE NEW AFRICA 
and marched conversing behind the escort into the centre of 
the town, where stood the Kodthla or council circle, fenced in 
by long poles, set at an inward angle to prevent any misdemea¬ 
nant from escaping while under trial, by climbing out. On a 
chair seated near the centre of it sat Moremi the king, a young 
man of twenty-four years of age at most, dressed in black clothes, 
with a dirty linen shirt front, a magnificent ostrich plume adorn¬ 
ing his bowler hat, and a pair of patent leather shoes setting his 
stockingless feet off to the best advantage. He was surrounded 
by his thirty councillors, who viewed our approach with un¬ 
friendly countenances. Unabashed, Hammar and I walked up 
to the king, and held out our hands for him to shake, which he, 
not knowing how to refuse, took sheepishly, and with a cold 
contact dropped again, whereupon we retired and seated ourselves 
by our boys some yards off under a single tree in the Kodthla. 
