Close to him sat three lads with large sheaves of arrows over their shoulders.
When we entered the kotla, the whole of Manenko's party saluted Shinte by clapping their hands, and Sambanza did obeisance by rubbing his chest and arms with ashes.

One of the trees being unoccupied, I retreated to it for the sake of the shade, and my whole party did the same.

We were now about forty yards from the chief, and could see the whole ceremony.
The different sections of the tribe came forward in the same way that we did, the head man of each making obeisance with ashes which he carried with him for the purpose; then came the soldiers, all armed to the teeth, running and shouting toward us, with their swords drawn, and their faces screwed up so as to appear as savage as possible, for the purpose, I thought, of trying whether they could not make us take to our heels.

As we did not, they turned round toward Shinte and saluted him, then retired.

When all had come and were seated, then began the curious capering usually seen in pichos.