Raising my voice, I said: “Men and women look at me.” Then I took my box of matches, and lighted one before them. A wild shout was uttered by all at the same time. They did not seem to believe their own eyes. I shouted again, “Look at me.” Then came a profound silence. I lighted another match. Another shout of astonishment. Then with one voice they cried, “Great indeed is our Oguizi, the friend of King Mombo.”
Then I took my magnet, and I told Regundo to give me the small knife he had by his side. He did so. I placed it next the magnet where it held fast. Another wild shout of wonder was the result. Then I told Ashoonga, Regundo’s wife, to bring me an iron needle, one of their own make. Then they saw the needle hang to the magnet without falling, and as I put the needle upon the stool, upon which I had been seated, they saw the needle fly to the magnet. There was a great silence during this exhibition of the power of the magnet. Then rose a mighty shout from the throats of all, even from Angooka, the great medicine-man.
I did not want Angooka to be jealous, so I made friends with him and presented him with five matches. In his eyes it was a very great gift, for which he thanked me and then he invited me to come to his plantation. Then I called Regundo and Oshoria, and told them to fill their pipes with tobacco, which they did. “Put them in your mouths, I will light them with this,” I said to them, showing them a match at the same time. As they seemed afraid, I said, “Be without fear, for I, the Oguizi, am your friend.”
“Then came a profound silence. I lighted another match”
I lighted a match, put it over the pipe of Regundo and ordered him to smoke. When they saw the smoke coming out of the pipe, a tremendous shout rose. There was no mistake, their eyes did not deceive them; it was real fire. Then Oshoria wanted his pipe lighted also and after him nearly all the men and women filled their pipes and asked me to light theirs for them also. I lighted over fifty pipes.
After this I called the great medicine-man, and taking my watch out of my pocket held it to his ear. He jumped when he heard it tick, and shouted his astonishment. Then I went into my little house and came out with “Omemba,” the stick of King Mombo, and at its sight they all shouted “We will obey you.” The penalty for any man taking “Omemba” without its being given to him by King Mombo was death.
The hunters and I became good friends at once, and almost every evening some of them came to see me. One evening as I was seated by a blazing fire which threw its light around us, I said to those about me, “Tell me how you travel and how you go hunting in this great forest.” Regundo got up and replied, “In the forest there are many paths. These lead from one village to another, or from one tribe to another, or to the plantations. Among many tribes the paths used as highways of communication have to pass through the villages, and if one wishes to avoid those villages he has to go through the forest until he gets by. There are many hunting paths. These are not easy to follow, for they are little used, and often they are very intricate, and it is difficult to find the way back. There are also paths used to mislead people. Often these end abruptly in the forest, just as hunting paths do.”
CHAPTER XII
KING MOMBO’S PLANTATION—WORK OF THE SLAVES IN CLEARING AND CULTIVATING THE FOREST—STRANGE VILLAGE OF THE SLAVES—HOUSES OF THE SPIRITS—REGUNDO’S ACCOUNT OF WITCHCRAFT AND ITS PUNISHMENT—OVENGUA.