I Must Wait A
Day Or Two, However, That A Proper Selection Might Be Made; And
When The Marriage Came Off, I Was To Chain The Fair One Two Or
Three Days, Until She Became Used To Me, Else, From Mere Fright,
She Might Run Away.
To keep up the spirits of the queen, though her frequent potions
of pombe had wellnigh done enough, I
Admired her neck-ring,
composed of copper wire, with a running inlaid twist of iron, and
asked her why she wore such a wreath of vine-leaves, as I had
often seen on some of the Wakungu. On this she produced a number
of rings similar to the one she wore, and taking off her own,
placed it round my neck. Then, pointing to her wreath, she said,
"This is the badge of a kidnapper's office - whoever wears it,
catches little children." I inferred that its possession, as an
insignia of royalty, conferred on the bearer the power of
seizure, as the great seal in this country confers power on
public officers.
The queen's dinner was now announced; and, desiring me to remain
where I was for a short time, she went to it. She sent me
several dishes (plantain-leaves), with well-cooked beef and
mutton, and a variety of vegetables, from her table, as well as a
number of round moist napkins, made in the shape of wafers, from
the freshly-drawn plantain fibres, to wash the hands and face
with. There was no doubt now about her culinary accomplishments.
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