This Mercury Brought Forth A Hearty
Welcome; For Chongi Had Been Appointed Governor By Kamrasi Of
This District, Which Appears To Have Been The Extreme Northern
Limit Of The Originally Vast Kingdom Of Kittara.
All the elite
of the place, covered with war-paints, and dressed, so far as
their nakedness was covered
At all, like clowns in a fair,
charging down the hill full tilt with their spears, and, after
performing their customary evolutions, mingled with our men, and
invited us up the hill, where we no sooner arrived than Chongi, a
very old man, attended by his familiar, advanced to receive us -
one holding a white hen, the other a small gourd of pombe and a
little twig.
Chongi gave us all a friendly harangue by way of greeting; and
taking the fowl by one leg, swayed it to and fro close to the
ground in front of his assembled visitors. After this ceremony
had been also repeated by the familiar, Chongi then took the
gourd and twig, and sprinkled the contents all over us; retired
to the Uganga, or magic house - a very diminutive hut - sprinkled
pombe over it; and, finally, spreading a cow-skin under a tree,
bade us sit, and gave us a jorum of pombe, making many apologies
that he could not show us more hospitality, as famine had reduced
his stores. What politeness in the midst of such barbarism!!!
Nowhere had we seen such naked creatures, whose sole dress
consisted of bead, iron, or brass ornaments, with some feathers
or cowrie-beads on the head.
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