We all had voracious appetites. Big pieces of meat disappeared fast one after another. The men did not seem to take time to chew their food—they took such big mouthfuls. I did not wonder at the size of the pieces they seemed to swallow, for the mouths of most of them, when they laughed almost spread from ear to ear.
Once in a while they would look suspiciously towards the Waterbury clock. They could not get accustomed to it, for it was in their eyes a supernatural thing that was always talking. As to myself, to show them that I had no “roondah,” I tasted of every dish, but ate most of the monkey, for its meat was fat and juicy, and tasted very good.
The dogs surrounded us, and with expectant look were waiting for a bone, and as soon as one got a bone he disappeared to eat it alone.
After every dish had been cleared of its contents I got up from my seat and said: “Slaves of King Mombo, and you belonging to other masters, the Oguizi loves you all.”
Thereupon all shouted at the same time: “We love you also, for you are good, Oguizi. Stay with us all the time.”
At these words Regundo rose and said: “You will not be hungry, Oguizi, while you are with us. The hunters will go and hunt with you; there is plenty of game in the forest—plenty of plantain trees and manioc in the ground.”
“Yes,” shouted all the hunters, “we will go and hunt and kill game for you. Stay with us, good Oguizi.”
At this I got up, telling them not to go away, went into my house, and came out with some beads, looking-glasses, files, fire-steel, flints and powder, and distributed these among them, giving to the women beads and looking-glasses, and to the men the rest. Great excitement ensued. They shouted: “We can die for you, Oguizi, for we love you.” Then in a quieter manner they added: “Every evening after our day’s work is over we will come and talk to you, for it does us good to see you.”
In the evening the slaves came with strange-looking musical instruments. I was to be present at an African concert. The first musician played on a “handja.” How queer the instrument looked! It consisted of a frame about three feet and a half long, and two feet broad, in which were set some ten or twelve hollow gourds covered by thin strips of hardwood. These gourds and the strips of wood were of different sizes and so graduated that they formed a regular series of notes. The tone was clear and good.
When the player had finished his piece, another got up and played upon a kind of harp, covered with the skin of a gazelle, and sang at the same time.