to watch our things, taking with us the presents we
had prepared.

Komba led us to the feast-house, where the fire in the pit was out,
or had been covered over, and the grid and its horrible burden had
disappeared. Also now all the mats were rolled up, so that the clear
moonlight flowed into and illuminated the place. Seated in a semicircle
on wooden stools with their faces towards the gateway were the Kalubi,
who occupied the centre, and eight councillors, all of them grey-haired
men. This Kalubi was a tall, thin individual of middle age with, I
think, the most nervous countenance that I ever saw. His features
twitched continually and his hands were never still. The eyes, too, as
far as I could see them in that light, were full of terrors.

He rose and bowed, but the councillors remained seated, greeting us with
a long-continued and soft clapping of the hands, which, it seemed, was
the Pongo method of salute.

We bowed in answer, then seated ourselves on three stools that had been
placed for us, Brother John occupying the middle stool. Mavovo and Hans
stood behind us, the latter supporting himself with his large bamboo
stick. As soon as these preliminaries were over the Kalubi
called upon Komba, whom he addressed in formal language as
"You-who-have-passed-the-god," and "You-the-Kalubi-to-be" (I thought I
saw him wince as he said these words), to give an account of his mission
and of how it came about that they had the honour of seeing the white
lords there.

Komba obeyed. After addressing the Kalubi with every possible title
of honour, such as "Absolute Monarch," "Master whose feet I kiss,"
"He whose eyes are fire and whose tongue is a sword," "He at whose nod
people die," "Lord of the Sacrifice, first Taster of the Sacred meat,"
"Beloved of the gods" (here the Kalubi shrank as though he had been
pricked with a spear), "Second to none on earth save the Motombo the
most holy, the most ancient, who comes from heaven and speaks with the
voice of heaven," etc., etc., he gave a clear but brief account of all
that had happened in the course of his mission to Beza Town.

Especially did he narrate how, in obedience to a message which he had
received from the Motombo, he had invited the white lords to Pongo-land,
and even accepted them as envoys from the Mazitu when none would respond
to King Bausi's invitation to fill that office. Only he had stipulated
that they should bring with them none of their magic weapons which