he third enclosure,
where, in his principal hut, we found Rumanika squatting on the ground,
half-concealed by the portal, but showing his smiling face to welcome us
in. His head was got up with a tiara of beads, from the centre of
which, directly over the forehead, stood a plume of red feathers, and
encircling the lower face with a fine large white beard set in a stock
or band of beads. We were beckoned to squat alongside Nnanaji, the
master of ceremonies, and a large group of high officials outside the
porch. Then the thirty-five drums all struck up together in very good
harmony; and when their deafening noise was over, a smaller band of
hand-drums and reed instruments was ordered in to amuse us.

This second performance over, from want of breath only, district
officers, one by one, came advancing on tip-toe, then pausing,
contorting and quivering their bodies, advancing again with a springing
gait and outspread arms, which they moved as if they wished to force
them out of their joints, in all of which actions they held drum-sticks
or twigs in their hands, swore with a maniacal voice an oath of their
loyalty and devotion to their king, backed by the expression of a hope
that he would cut off their heads if they ever turned from his enemies,
and then, kneeling before him, they held out their sticks that he might
touch them. With a constant reiteration of these scenes--the saluting
at one time, the music at another--interrupted only once by a number
of girls dancing something like a good rough Highland fling whilst the
little band played, the day's ceremonies ended.

6th and 7th.--During the next two days, as my men had all worn out their
clothes, I gave them each thirty necklaces of beads to purchase a suit
of the bark cloth called mbugu, already described. Finding the flour
of the country too bitter to eat by itself, we sweetened it with
ripe plantains, and made a good cake of it. The king now, finding me
disinclined to fight his brother Rogero, either with guns or magic
horns, asked me to give him a "doctor" or charm to create longevity and
to promote the increase of his family, as his was not large enough to
maintain the dignity of so great a man as himself. I gave him a blister,
and, changing the subject, told him the history of the creation of man.
After listening to it attentively, he asked what thing in creation I
considered the greatest of all things in the world; for whilst a man at
most could only live one hu