第16部分(第1/7 页)

；　clad　in　the　sweet　simplicity　of　a　little　strip　of　skin　tied　round　the　middle。　Even　here；　however；　the　female　love　of　ornament　was　in　evidence；　for　the　hair　of　the　women　was　elaborately　arranged　and　powdered　with　some　metal　that　caused　it　to　glitter　and　gave　it　a　blue　tinge。　Our　hut　was　very　superior　to　that　built　by　the　Zulus。　It　stood　in　a　reed…hedged　courtyard　which　was　floored　with　limestone　concrete。　Also　it　had　a　verandah　round　it。　The　interior　walls　were　painted　with　red　ochre　in　lines　and　spirals　something　after　the　old　Greek　fashion。　Indeed；　these　Basutos　gave　me　the　idea　that　they　were　sprung　from　some　race　with　a　considerable　knowledge　of　civilisation　and　its　arts。　In　other　ways；　however；　they　had　quite　relapsed　into　barbarism。　Thus；　as　we　entered　the　town　about　a　hundred　women　returned　from　labouring　in　the　fields；　stripped　themselves　stark　naked　before　us；　and　proceeded　to　wash　in　a　stream　—　though　I　observe　that　they　did　this　“in　a　modest　kind　of　way。”　I　should　add　that　at　this　time　very　few　white　men　had　ever　passed　the　gates　of　Secocoeni’s　Town。

It　was　an　uncanny　kind　of　place。　If　you　got　up　at　night；　if　you　moved　anywhere；　you　became　aware　that　dozens　or　hundreds　of　eyes　were　watching　you。　Privacy　was　impossible。　You　ate；　too；　in　public。　The　chief　sent　down　a　sheep。　You　saw　it　living；　next　you　saw　it　more　or　less　cooked　and　held　before　you　in　quarters　on　sticks　by　kneeling　natives。　You　cut　off　chunks　with　your　knife；　ate　what　you　liked　or；　rather；　what　you　must；　and　threw　the　rest　to　other　natives　who　stood　round　staring；　among　them　the　heir…apparent　to　the　chieftainship。　These　caught　the　pieces　as　a　dog　does；　and　gobbled　them　down　like　a　dog。

On　the　morning　following　our　arrival；　after　a　night　so　hot　that　sleep　was　almost　impossible