Nassar having by my order stepped forward into the empty space between us and the King, that royal personage intimated his wish to speak with the chief of the caravan.
As soon as this request was translated to us, we begged de Morin to represent us. He got up accordingly, took his stool, placed it in the small reserved space, and quietly seated himself by the side of Nassar and in front of the King, as unembarrassed as if he had been at his club.
But Munza did not appear to be satisfied with this arrangement, de Morin, apparently, not being the one he wanted. At the same time he pointed to Joseph, both by look and gesture.
"That is not the chief," said Nassar, "That is a servant, a slave.
You cannot converse with a slave, O King."
"No, no, it is the chief," persisted Munza, pointing now to Joseph's coat and necktie.
We understood at once. When Schweinfurth was received by the King, two years previously, he wore, as a savant, a black coat and white necktie. Seeing our servant in this official guise, exactly like that worn by the German traveller, Munza thought that Joseph was the most important personage amongst us.
Nassar took upon himself to explain away the error, but it was with considerable difficulty that he succeeded in doing so, the King saying over and over again, "The white man was dressed in that way. Why does your slave wear the same clothes as the great chief?"
He would have looked upon us as impostors if we had told him that with us the leading men in the country, ministers, and sovereigns wear precisely the same dress as the most disreputable waiter in an eating-house. We were thus compelled to seek another explanation, and, in order not to depreciate Schweinfurth in the monarch's estimation, we declared that, during the last two years, the fashion in our country had undergone a complete revolution, and that de Morin, Delange, and I alone wore the costume befitting our exalted rank. This was not very intelligible to the ruler of a people amongst whom fashion never changes, but Munza, nevertheless, condescended to accept the explanation, or, as was far more likely the case, with that quickness of perception of which, later on, we had too many proofs, he recognised, after having examined de Morin and Joseph attentively, that it is not the cowl which makes the monk.
With the assistance of Nassar, conversation between my friend and the African King was speedily in full swing. The latter had resumed his nonchalant attitude, and continued to emit from his pipe, at regular intervals, whiffs of smoke, which he sent curling through the air. De Morin, with a cigar in his mouth, astride on his diminutive bench, his right leg slightly raised, and his hands clasping his knee, had posed himself after a somewhat peculiar fashion, which, it is to be hoped, Munza considered respectful.
Profound silence reigned throughout our escort and amongst the wives and courtiers of the King. His Majesty was about to speak, and no one dared say a word.