CHAPTER 16.
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.
11TH OF JANUARY, 1854.

On starting this morning, Samoana (or rather Nyamoana, for the ladies are the chiefs here) presented a string of beads, and a shell highly valued among them, as an atonement for having assisted Manenko, as they thought, to vex me the day before.

They seemed anxious to avert any evil which might arise from my displeasure; but having replied that I never kept my anger up all night, they were much pleased to see me satisfied.

We had to cross, in a canoe, a stream which flows past the village of Nyamoana.

Manenko's doctor waved some charms over her, and she took some in her hand and on her body before she ventured upon the water.