The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-19
A CENTRAL AFRICAN CHEF

IF'rOm British Central African Gazette
Mpeseni's hut is built of the usual cir
cular shape. only much larger than the
other ones around it. When entering the
outer Enclosure the people shout out
.eByeti'' (the royal salute) and when
crawling into the hut, the entrance to
which is only some two and half feet
high, the same SalutatiOn IS repeated.
When 1 entered the hut first I could not
ditinguish anything until my eyes got
that there were some fifteen people sit
ting on the. ground, while in the center,
old man clad in a dirty flannel shirt, and
with some cheap print round his lolns.
This was the great Mpeseni!
I sat down on the cushion had brought
with me for that purpose, and, according
to the usual custom Wated thu until he
"Ndiona inu' Il see YOU'D For fully fine
minutes nobody spoke a word; all the
while he was staring at me with his big
glaring eyes-a stare which / returned,
and then, al last, he addressed me with
the. above mentioned words, whereupon 1
replied: ''Ndiona bamba'' q 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
for a long time and. try to stare them
out. 1 then brought forth my .'milandu."
telling him that Chuaula. whom his men
nad paad aug was a Ir ne "a, o. m me ana
oners. This he promised to do, and mes
sengers were dispatched at once to call
the indund who had sent the party raid
ing. All men were sent to call in the
other chief whose raiding party to Chi
HQnCd ndd Intercepted
Mpeseni speaks. or, at any rate under
stands, Chikunda and Chinyanja very
out an interpreter The day of my ar
rival a. lion had been killed by his men.
and the skin was brought to him, as the
law preseribes. In his hut [ noticed at
least a dozen lion skins, and was told
that nobody in the country except him
self is allowed to keep one. At night
they are spread out and form his bed.
Though Mpeseni is between sixty and sew
hearty. On the second day he made me
a present in the shape of a cow, and 1
then sent him some cloth. In my tent
I was always molested by his people, who
came to beg; but they We're not very sue
ish giving of presents.
A white man II II, Mpesents country is lit
sit down get hold of anything they fancy
and say, Make me present of it, my
friend and not, until / had treated one
of my insolent friends somewhat cava-
lierly and sent him flying out of my tent
in spites of his wax crown, (Which sigui-
peace. If one were to attempt to satisfy
all the wants of Mpeseni's wives one
would soon become bankrupt. as he has
hundred or more, and they all come to
beg. The king Gas l have heard him
begging. During my stay at least twice
every day he sent and asked me to make
other people have given him a gun and
revolver he was rather disappointed to
find me obstinate
When, after four days waiting the two
above mentioned indunas did not turn up
although Mpeseni had sent repeatedly, for
them, I went myself. Mpeseni is really a
dummy and his indunas do whatever they
like. "Chipeta country he said, I have
conquered long before the white men ever
came to the lake. What right have
they?" What right had your" I asked
lin Asengay glalai Bisa and Achewa
not lion kill the gamer 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 in Mpe-
Soni'G his 6fJf naOnfR do mot
spit on the ground. but against the mud
plastered wall. and carefully rub it out
with the hand Only Mpeseni's himself
enjoys the privilege of using a kind or
brush for this delicate ceremony. The
walls of the hut through the long usage
of years are perfectly glazed now and
polished.