Chapter 16

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.