The Guns Rusted,
In Spite Of Being Oiled Every Evening.
During the night we were all awakened by a terrific shriek
from one of Manenko's ladies.
She piped out so loud and long
that we all imagined she had been seized by a lion, and my men snatched up
their arms, which they always place so as to be ready at a moment's notice,
and ran to the rescue; but we found the alarm had been caused
by one of the oxen thrusting his head into her hut and smelling her:
she had put her hand on his cold, wet nose, and thought it was all over
with her.
On Sunday afternoon messengers arrived from Shinte, expressing his approbation
of the objects we had in view in our journey through the country,
and that he was glad of the prospect of a way being opened by which white men
might visit him, and allow him to purchase ornaments at pleasure.
Manenko now threatened in sport to go on, and I soon afterward perceived
that what now seemed to me the dilly-dallying way of this lady
was the proper mode of making acquaintance with the Balonda;
and much of the favor with which I was received in different places
was owing to my sending forward messengers to state the object of our coming
before entering each town and village. When we came in sight of a village
we sat down under the shade of a tree and sent forward a man to give notice
who we were and what were our objects.
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