Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-15
QUEER CENTRAL AFRICAN CHIEF,
Takes All the Lion skins and Has n
Hundred Wives.
Central African Gazette.

i'ih t'ie piitisH taiTlcau IAZette
Mpesenis hut is built in the usual cir
cular shape. only much larger than the
other ones around it. When entering the
outer Enclosure the people shout out "Byetr'
dhe royal salute, and when crawling into
the hut. the entrance to which is only some
two and half feet high the same saluta-
ton is repeated. When / entered the hut
first l could not distinguish anything until
my eyes got used to the darkness. Then 1
discovered that there were some fifteen
people sitting the ground while in the
confer. on a little heap of cloth, was seated
an old man clad in dirty flannel shirt,
and with some cheap print around his loins
This was the great Mpeseni.
l sat down on the cushion had brought
with me for that purpose, and according to
the usual custom, waited until he should
address me with the usual "Ndiona inu'' Il
see YOU. For fully FIVE minutes nobody
spoke word; all the while he was staring
at me with his big glazing eyes-a stare
which / returned and then, at last, he ad-
dressed me with the above mentioned
words. whereupon replied: "Ndiona bam-
ba' u see you. father. Anyhow, it had
taken him long time to discover me in
spite of my six feet six inches, but l was
told that this is his USUAL way; to stare at
his visitors for long time and try to stare
them out. I then brought forth nv milan
du," telling him that Chuaula whom his
men had raided. was friend of mine and
l wanted to ask him TO release the pris-
oners. This he promised to do, and mes
sengers were dispatched at once to call the
induna who had sent the party raiding.
Also men were sent to call in the other
chief, whose raiding party to Chinundo
mad intercepted.
Mpeseni speaks, or, at any rate, under
stands Chikunda and Chinyanja very we'll,
and / could converse with him without an
interpreter. The day of my arrival lion
had been killed by his men, and the skin
had been brought to him. as the law pre-
7 on1 s.t
dozen lion skins, and was told that nobody
in the country except himself is allowed to
keep one. At night they are spread out
and form his bed Though Mpeseni is be-
tween sixty and seventy years old he is
still hale and hearty. On the second day
he made me a present in the shape of a
cow, and l then sent him some cloth. In
my tent 1 was always molested by his peo-
pie. who came to beg. but they We're not
very successful. Mpeseni has been spoiled
by lavish giving of presents.
A white man in Mpesenfs country is lit
tie respected. They will enter your tent.
sit down, get hold of anything they fancy
and say, Make me a present Of it, my
friend and not until 1 had treated one of
my insoent friends somewhat cavalierly
and sent him flying out of my tent in spite
of his wax crown (Which signifed him as
an induna) was left in peace. If one were
to attempt to satisfy all the wants of Mpe-
seni's wives one would soon become bank
rupt he has 100 or more, and they all
come to beg. The king Gas l have heard
him called is the worst of the lot as re-
CARDS begging. During my stay at least
twice every day he sent and asked me to
make him present of one of my guns. and
as other people have given him a gun and
revolver he was rather disappointed to
find me so obstinate.
When. after four days waiting. the two
aforementioned indunas did not turn up.
although Mpeseni had sent repeatedly for
them, l went myself. Mpeseni is really a
dummy. and his indunas do whatever they
like. ''Chipeta country he said. Il have
conquered long before the white men ever
came to the lake. What right had they?'
What right had your / asked, in Asenga,
Ulala. Bisa and Achewa country?' ''Oh, ]
was the stronger. Does not lion kill the
game?" he said. "And does not the white
man kill the lion when provoked" was my
reply. with silence on his part.
Truly royal manners prevail at Mpesenis
| court. In his hut the people do not spit on
the ground. but against the mud-pIas-
tered wall. and carefully rub it out with
the hand. Only Mpeseni himself enjoys the
privilege of using kind of brush for this
delicate ceremony, The walls of the hut
through the long usage Of years are per
fectly glazed now and polished.