AN AFRICAN DANDY.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1502, 24 October 1885, Page 4

AN AFRICAN DANDY.

Polite to his guests—let them come as often as they may—from the mom nt he makes anybody's acquaintance, a systematic approach to their affections is commenced, with the view to their spoliation. He presents himself to you as one who is as vain as a woman, and as frivolous as a child ; but contrives before you have finally departed from him to impress you with the fact that he is an unprincipled rogue. It is " My brother, what is this ] My brother what is that ? Ah, truly, my brother ? Put it away, good brother. Really now, has my brother come to see the country I Dear, good brother ! Verily a brother of brothers! My own true brother!" And thus hj« purrs continually around one, his eyes wandering about your person and belongings. And such state as he surrounds himself with on a stranger's arrival! A lion skin—a real lion skin —is spread out, a fat crimson bolster is in piace of a chair of state, and a circle of respectful principals are seated expectant of his appearance, Bwabwa Njaiiis touching himself up before a score of looking-glasses hanging around the walls of his house, straightening a hair here, giving another dab of ochre on his cheeks aud forehead, a streak ot yellow under one eye, a line of white under the other, the ridge of his nose coloured still darker with powdered charcoal, a loving tap on his chignon, a smooth of create in his red blanket, and lo ! Bwabwa Nj.ili emerges into view. I have often wondered, on viewing these efforts of African g chiefs to ape the majestic strutting ot kingliness, from what grand prototype they have drawn their demeanour. Mtesa, of Uganda, is too far off, and there is no one nearer that I have ever discovered or heard of able by the rumour of his pomp to impress the sense of these fantastic mimics of kinghooi. I presume it must be natural to man—to the African Nfumu as it is to thf British beadle!— The Congo and the Found int.j of its Free State, by E. AL Stanley.