ly
fifty times as big, for it could not have covered less than six or
seven acres of ground. All round the outside fence stood a row of huts,
which were the habitations of the king's wives. Exactly opposite the
gateway, on the further side of the open space, was a very large hut,
built by itself, in which his majesty resided. All the rest was open
ground; that is to say, it would have been open had it not been filled
by company after company of warriors, who were mustered there to the
number of seven or eight thousand. These men stood still as statues as
we advanced through them, and it would be impossible to give an
adequate idea of the grandeur of the spectacle which they presented,
with their waving plumes, their glancing spears, and iron-backed
ox-hide shields.

The space in front of the large hut was empty, but before it were
placed several stools. On three of these, at a sign from Infadoos, we
seated ourselves, Umbopa standing behind us. As for Infadoos, he took
up a position by the door of the hut. So we waited for ten minutes or
more in the midst of a dead silence, but conscious that we were the
object of the concentrated gaze of some eight thousand pairs of eyes.
It was a somewhat trying ordeal, but we carried it off as best we
could. At length the door of the hut opened, and a gigantic figure,
with a splendid tiger-skin karross flung over its shoulders, stepped
out, followed by the boy Scragga, and what appeared to us to be a
withered-up monkey, wrapped in a fur cloak. The figure seated itself
upon a stool, Scragga took his stand behind it, and the withered-up
monkey crept on all fours into the shade of the hut and squatted down.

Still there was silence.

Then the gigantic figure slipped off the karross and stood up before
us, a truly alarming spectacle. It was that of an enormous man with the
most entirely repulsive countenance we had ever beheld. This man's lips
were as thick as a Negro's, the nose was flat, he had but one gleaming
black eye, for the other was represented by a hollow in the face, and
his whole expression was cruel and sensual to a degree. From the large
head rose a magnificent plume of white ostrich feathers, his body was
clad in a shirt of shining chain armour, whilst round the waist and
right knee were the usual garnishes of white ox-tail. In his right hand
was a huge spear, about the neck a thick torque of gold, and bound on
the forehead shone dully a single and enormous uncut diamond