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As the people on the banks of the Leeba were the last of Shinte's tribe over which Intemese had power, he was naturally anxious to remain as long as possible. He was not idle, but made a large wooden mortar and pestle for his wife during our journey.
He gave us some of the news of that distant part, but not a word of the Makololo, who have always been represented in the countries to the north as a desperately savage race, whom no trader could visit with safety. The half-caste traders whom we met at Shinte's had returned to Angola with sixty-six slaves and upward of fifty tusks of ivory.
They were subjects of her uncle; and, had they been Makololo, would have been lavish in their gifts to the niece of their chief. I suspected that they were dependents of some of Shinte's principal men, and had no power to part with the maize of their masters.
We had not met with a stone since leaving Shinte's. The country is covered with deep alluvial soil of a dark color and very fertile. The men had to swim off to each end of the bridge, and when on it were breast deep; some preferred holding on by the tails of the oxen the whole way across.
The latitude of Shinte's town is 12d 37' 35" S., longitude 22d 47' E. We remained with Shinte till the 6th of July, he being unwilling to allow us to depart before hearing in a formal manner, in the presence of his greatest councilor Chebende, a message from Limboa, the brother of Masiko.
On learning from some of the people that "Shinte's mouth was bitter for want of tasting ox-flesh," I presented him with an ox, to his great delight; and, as his country is so well adapted for cattle, I advised him to begin a trade in cows with the Makololo.
Nyamoana's Present Charms Manenko's pedestrian Powers An Idol Balonda Arms Rain Hunger Palisades Dense Forests Artificial Beehives Mushrooms Villagers lend the Roofs of their Houses Divination and Idols Manenko's Whims A night Alarm Shinte's Messengers and Present The proper Way to approach a Village A Merman Enter Shinte's Town: its Appearance Meet two half-caste Slave-traders The Makololo scorn them The Balonda real Negroes Grand Reception from Shinte His Kotla Ceremony of Introduction The Orators Women Musicians and Musical Instruments A disagreeable Request Private Interviews with Shinte Give him an Ox Fertility of Soil Manenko's new Hut Conversation with Shinte Kolimbota's Proposal Balonda's Punctiliousness Selling Children Kidnapping Shinte's Offer of a Slave Magic Lantern Alarm of Women Delay Sambanza returns intoxicated The last and greatest Proof of Shinte's Friendship.
Soon they were out of Shinte's territory, and Intemese became the plague of the party, though unluckily they could not dispense with him altogether in crossing the great flooded plains of Lebala. They camped at night on mounds, where they had to trench round each hut and use the earth to raise their sleeping places.
This is a good sign, for a man who shakes his sides with mirth is seldom difficult to deal with. When we rose to take leave, all rose with us, as at Shinte's. There is no one in the country equal to Matiamvo and me. I have always lived here, and my forefathers too. There is the house in which my father lived. You found no human skulls near the place where you are encamped.
When she heard that we had given an ox to her uncle, she came forward to us with the air of one wronged, and explained that "this white man belonged to her; she had brought him here, and therefore the ox was hers, not Shinte's." She ordered her men to bring it, got it slaughtered by them, and presented her uncle with a leg only. Shinte did not seem at all annoyed at the occurrence.
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