Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/400

 wives, ail of them sistcrs or cousins of the king, were less elaborately dressed. Thcy walked bchînd hcr, ready ât tbA sltghtcst sign to perform the most mcnial services. Dîd bis Majesty wish to sit dowii, Iwo of them would immc- diately stoop to the grouiid and form a seat with thciV bodies, whilst othcrs would hâve to lie down and support his fect upon their:backs: a thronc and footstool ofliying cbony, Amidst the staggcring, ha!f-tipsy crowd of ministers, oflScers, and magicians that composed Moené Loonga's- suite, thcrc was hardly a man to be seen whoTiad nol lost either an eye, an ear, or hand, or nosc. Dcath and mutila- tion were the onlytwo punishments practised in Kazonodé; and the sHghtcst offcnce involvcd the instant amputation of »ome member of the body. The loss of thé ^ waistcoats and zebra-skin caps ; In their hands the^ brandished long rattans, coated at one extremi^ wïth » vamish of magie drugs. The weapons carried by the soldîersconsisted of woodea- bows adorned with fringes and provided with a spare bow' strîng, knives filed înto the shape of serpents' tongues, long,' broad lances, and shields of palm wood, ornamented with' arabesques. In the matter of uniform, the royal army had no demands to m&ke upon the royal treasury. > Amongst the attendants of the king there was a cor' siderable number of sorcerers and musicians. The sorcereiSi or mganga, were practically the physicians of the coart,' the savages having the most implicit faith in divinations^ and incantations of every kind, and employing fctishes,- clay or wooden figures, representing sometimes ordinaiy human beîngs and sometimes fantastic animais. Like this' rest of the retinue, thèse magicians were, for the most part;- more or less muÉÎlated, an indication that some of their prescriptions onOshalf of the king had failed of success. The musicians were of both sexes, some perfonning-OQ-