_24th November, 1867._--We were called to be presented to Casembe in a
grand reception.

The present Casembe has a heavy uninteresting countenance, without
beard or whiskers, and somewhat of the Chinese type, and his eyes have
an outward squint. He smiled but once during the day, and that was
pleasant enough, though the cropped ears and lopped hands, with human
skulls at the gate, made me indisposed to look on anything with
favour. His principal wife came with her attendants, after he had
departed, to look at the Englishman (Moenge-résé). She was a fine,
tall, good-featured lady, with two spears in her hand; the principal
men who had come around made way for her, and called on me to salute:
I did so; but she, being forty yards off, I involuntarily beckoned her
to come nearer: this upset the gravity of all her attendants; all
burst into a laugh, and ran off.

Casembe's smile was elicited by the dwarf making some uncouth antics
before him. His executioner also came forward to look: he had a broad
Lunda sword on his arm, and a curious scizzor-like instrument at his
neck for cropping ears. On saying to him that his was nasty work, he
smiled, and so did many who were not sure of their ears a moment: many
men of respectability show that at some former time they have been
thus punished. Casembe sent us another large basket of fire-dried fish
in addition to that sent us at Chungu, two baskets of flour, one of
dried cassava, and a pot of pombe or beer. Mohamad, who was accustomed
to much more liberal Casembes, thinks this one very stingy, having
neither generosity nor good sense; but as we cannot consume all he
gives, we do not complain.

_27th November, 1867._--Casembe's chief wife passes frequently to her