Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/403

A BOWL OF PUNCH. 375 shrill rattles, some on huge drums, whilst others played on instruments called marimôas, a kind of dulcimcr madc of two rows of different-sized gourds fastened in a frame, and struck by sticks wîth india-rubber balls at the end. To any but native ears the music was perfectly deafenîng. Several flags and banners were carried in the procession, and amongst thèse was mîxed up a number of long pikes, upon which were stuck the skulls of the various chiefs that Moené Loonga had conquered in battle. Astheking was helped out of hîs palanquin, the acclama- tions rose higher and highcr from every quartcr of the market-place. The soldiers attached to the caravans fired off their old guns, though the reports were almost too feeble to be heard above the noisy vociférations of the crowd ; and the havildars rubbed their black noscs with cinnabar powder, which they carried in bags, and prostrated themselves. Alvez advanced and prescnted the king with some fresh tobacco, " the appeasing herb," as it is called în the native dialect ; and certainly Moené Loonga seemed to require some appeasing, as, for some unknown reason, he was în a thoroughly bad temper. Coïmbra, Ibn Hamish and the dealers ail came forward to pay their court to the monarch, the Arabs greetîng him wîth the cry of mar/iaba, or welcome ; others clapped their hands and bowed to the very ground ; while some even smeared themselves with mud, in token of their most servile subjection. But Moené Loonga scarcely took notice of any of them ; he went staggering along, rolling like a ship upon a stormy sea, and made his way past the crowds of slaves, cach of whom, no less than their masters, tremblcd lest he should thînk fit to claim them for his own. Negoro, who kept close at Alvez* sîde, did not fail to render his homage along with the rest. Alvez and the kîng were carrying on a conversation in the native language, if that could be called a conversation in which Moené Loonga merely jerked out a few monosyllablcs from his inflamed and swollen lips. He was asking Alvez to rc- plenish hîs stock of brandy.