Missionary Travels and Researches in South AfricaLivingstone, David
Religion
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
Livingstone, David
Missions -- South Africa; South Africa -- Description and travel
On the 6th of January we reached the village of another female chief,
named Nyamoana, who is said to be the mother of Manenko, and sister
of Shinte or Kabompo, the greatest Balonda chief in this part of the
country. Her people had but recently come to the present locality, and
had erected only twenty huts. Her husband, Samoana, was clothed in a
kilt of green and red baize, and was armed with a spear and a broadsword
of antique form, about eighteen inches long and three broad. The chief
and her husband were sitting on skins placed in the middle of a circle
thirty paces in diameter, a little raised above the ordinary level of
the ground, and having a trench round it. Outside the trench sat about a
hundred persons of all ages and both sexes. The men were well armed with
bows, arrows, spears, and broadswords. Beside the husband sat a rather
aged woman, having a bad outward squint in the left eye. We put down
our arms about forty yards off, and I walked up to the centre of the
circular bench, and saluted him in the usual way by clapping the hands
together in their fashion. He pointed to his wife, as much as to say,
the honor belongs to her. I saluted her in the same way, and a mat
having been brought, I squatted down in front of them.
The talker was then called, and I was asked who was my spokesman. Having
pointed to Kolimbota, who knew their dialect best, the palaver began
in due form. I explained the real objects I had in view, without any
attempt to mystify or appear in any other character than my own, for
I have always been satisfied that, even though there were no other
considerations, the truthful way of dealing with the uncivilized is
unquestionably the best. Kolimbota repeated to Nyamoana's talker what
I had said to him. He delivered it all verbatim to her husband, who
repeated it again to her. It was thus all rehearsed four times over,
in a tone loud enough to be heard by the whole party of auditors. The
response came back by the same roundabout route, beginning at the lady
to her husband, etc.
After explanations and re-explanations, I perceived that our new friends
were mixing up my message of peace and friendship with Makololo affairs,
and stated that it was not delivered on the authority of any one less
than that of their Creator, and that if the Makololo did again break His
laws and attack the Balonda, the guilt would rest with the Makololo and
not with me. The palaver then came to a close.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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