They Wore Neat Bark Cloaks Resembling The Best Yellow Corduroy
Cloth, Crimp And Well Set, As If Stiffened With Starch,
And over
that, as upper-cloaks, a patchwork of small antelope skins, which
I observed were sewn together as well
As any English glovers
could have pieced them; whilst their head-dresses, generally,
were abrus turbans, set off with highly-polished boar-tusks,
stick-charms, seeds, beads, or shells; and on their necks, arms,
and ankles they wore other charms of wood, or small horns stuffed
with magic powder, and fastened on by strings generally covered
with snake-skin. N'yamgundu and Maula demanded, as their official
privilege, a first peep; and this being refused, they tried to
persuade me that the articles comprising the present required to
be covered with chintz, for it was considered indecorous to offer
anything to his majesty in a naked state. This little
interruption over, the articles enumerated below[FN#18] were
conveyed to the palace in solemn procession thus: - With
N'yamgundu, Maula, the pages, and myself on the flanks, the
Union-Jack carried by the kirangozi guide led the way, followed
by twelve men as a guard of honour, dressed in red flannel
cloaks, and carrying their arms sloped, with fixed bayonets;
whilst in their rear were the rest of my men, each carrying some
article as a present.
On the march towards the palace, the admiring courtiers, wonder-
struck at such an unusual display, exclaimed, in raptures of
astonishment, some with both hands at their mouths, and others
clasping their heads with their hands, "Irungi!
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