of　about　half　a　mile；　or　perhaps　a　little　less；　and
  then　halted。　Seeing　the　old　gentleman；　my　adopted
  〃father；〃　Billali；　emerge　from　his　litter；　I　did　the
  same；　and　so　did　Leo　and　Job。　The　first　thing　I　saw
  was　our　wretched　Arab　companion；　Mahomed；　lying
  exhausted　on　the　ground。　It　appeared　that　he　had　not
  been　provided　with　a　litter；　but　had　been　forced　to
  run　the　entire　distance；　and；　as　he　was　already　quite
  worn　out　when　we　started；　his　condition　now　was　one　of
  great　prostration。
  On　looking　round　we　discovered　that　the　place　where　we
  had　halted　was　a　platform　in　front　of　the　mouth　of　a
  great　cave；　and　piled　upon　this　platform　were　the
  entire　contents　of　the　whaleboat；　even　down　to　the
  oars　and　sail。　Round　the　cave　stood　groups　of　the　men
  who　had　escorted　us；　and　other　men　of　a　similar　stamp。
  They　were　all　tall　and　all　handsome；　though　they
  varied　in　their　degree　of　darkness　of　skin；　some　being
  as　dark　as　Mahomed；　and　some　as　yellow　as　a　Chinese。
  They　were　naked；　except　for　the　leopard…skin　round　the
  waist；　and　each　of　them　carried　a　huge　spear。
  There　were　also　some　women　among　them；　who；　instead　of
  the　leopard…skin；　wore　a　tanned　hide　of　a　small　red
  buck；　something　like　that　of　the　oribe'；　only　rather
  darker　in　color。　These　women　were；　as　a　class；
  exceedingly　good…looking；　with　large；　dark　eyes；　well…
  cut　features；　and　a　thick　bush　of　curling　hairnot
  crisped　like　a　negro'sranging　from　black　to　chestnut
  in　hue；　with　all　shades　of　intermediate　color。　Some；
  but　very　few　of　them；　wore　a　yellowish　linen　garment；
  such　as　I　have　described　as　worn　by　Billali；　but　this；
  as　we　afterwards　discovered；　was　a　mark　of　rank；
  rather　than　an　attempt　at　clothing。　For　the　rest；
  their　appearance　was　not　quite　so　terrifying　as　that
  of　the　men；　and　they　sometimes；　though　rarely；　smiled。
  As　soon　as　we　had　alighted　they　gathered　round　us　and
  examined　us　with　curiosity；　but　without　excitement。
  Leo's　tall；　athletic　form　and　clear…cut　Grecian　face；
  however；　evidently　excited　their　attention；　and　when
  he　politely　lifted　his　hat　to　them；　and　showed　his
  curling　yellow　hair；　there　was　a　slight　murmur　of
  admiration。　Nor　did　it　stop　there；　for；　after
  regarding　him　critically　from　head　to　foot；　the
  handsomest　of　the　young　womenone　wearing　a　robe；　and
  with　hair　of　a　shade　between　brown　and　chestnut
  deliberately　advanced　to　him；　and　in　a　way　that　would
  have　been　winning　had　it　not　been　so　determined；
  quietly　put　her　arm　round　his　neck；　bent　forward；　and
  kissed　him　on　the　lips。
  I　gave　a　gasp；　expecting　to　see　Leo　instantly　speared；
  and　Job　ejaculated；　〃The　hussywell；　I　never！〃　As　for
  Leo；　he　looked　slightly　astonished；　and　then；
  remarking　that　we　had　got　into　a　country　where　they
  clearly　followed　the　customs　of　the　early　Christians；
  deliberately　returned　the　embrace。
  Again　I　gasped；　thinking　that　something　would　happen；
  but。　to　my　surprise；　though　some　of　the　young　women
  showed　traces　of　vexation；　the　older　ones　and　the　men
  only　smiled　slightly。　When　we　came　to　understand　the
  customs　of　this　extraordinary　people　the　mystery　was
  explained。　It　then　appeared　that；　in　direct　opposition
  to　the　habits　of　almost　every　other　savage　race　in　the
  world；　women　among　the　Amahagger　are　not　only　upon
  terms　of　perfect　equality　with　the　men；　but　are　not
  held　to　them　by　any　binding　ties。　Descent　is　traced
  only　through　the　line　of　the　mother；　and　while
  individuals　are　as　proud　of　a　long　and　superior　female
  ancestry　as　we　are　of　our　families　in　Europe；　they
  never　pay　attention　to；　or　even　acknowledge；　any　man
  as　their　father；　even　when　their　male　parentage　is
  perfectly　well　known。　There　is　but　one　titular　male
  parent　of　each　tribe；　or；　as　they　call　it；
  〃household；〃　and　he　is　its　elected　and　immediate
  ruler；　with　the　title　of　〃Father。〃　For　instance；　the
  man　Billali　was　the　father　of　this　〃household；〃　which
  consisted　of　about　seven　thousand　individuals　all
  told；　and　no　other　man　was　ever　called　by　that　name。
  When　a　woman　took　a　fancy　to　a　man　she　signified　her
  preference　by　advancing　and　embracing　him　publicly；　in
  the　same　way　that　this　handsome　and　exceedingly　prompt
  young　lady；　who　was　called　Ustane；　had　embraced　Leo。
  If　he　kissed　her　in　return　it　was　a　token　that　he
  accepted　her；　and　the　arrangement　continued　till　one
  of　them　wearied　of　it。　I　am　bound；　however；　to　say
  that　the　change　of　husbands　was　not　nearly　so　frequent
  as　might　have　been　expected。　Nor　did　quarrels　arise
  out　of　it；　at　least　among　the　men；　who；　when　their
  wives　deserted　them　in　favor　of　a　rival；　accepted　the
  whole　thing　much　as　we　accept　the　income…tax　or　our
  marriage　laws；　as　something　not　to　be　disputed；　and　as
  tending　to　the　good　of　the　community；　however
  disagreeable　they　may　in　particular　instances　prove　to
  the　individual。
  It　is　very　curious　to　observe　how　the　customs　of
  mankind　on　this　matter　vary　in　different　countries；
  making　morality　an　affair　of　latitude；　and　what　is
  right　and　proper　in　one　place　wrong　and　improper　in
  another。　It　must；　however；　be　understood　that；　as　all
  civilized　nations　appear　to　accept　it　as　an　axiom　that
  ceremony　is　the　touchstone　of　morality；　there　is；　even
  according　to　our　canons；　nothing　immoral　about　this
  Amahagger　custom；　seeing　that　the　interchange　of　the
  embrace　answers　to　our　ceremony　of　marriage；　which；　as
  we　know；　justifies　most　things。
  CHAPTER　VII
  USTANE　SINGS
  When　the　kissing　operation　was　finishedby　the　way；
  none　of　the　young　ladies　offered　to　pet　me　in　this
  fashion；　though　I　saw　one　hovering　round　Job；　to　that
  respectable　individual's　evident　alarmthe　old　man
  Billali　advanced；　and　graciously　waved　us　into　the
  cave；　whither　we　went；　followed　by　Ustane；　who　did　not
  seem　inclined　to　take　the　hints　I　gave　her　that　we
  liked　privacy。
  Before　we　had　gone　five　paces　it　struck　me　that　the
  cave　that　we　were　entering　was　none　of　Nature's
  handiwork；　but；　on　the　contrary；　had　been　hollowed　by
  the　hand　of　man。　So　far　as　we　could　judge　it　appeared
  to　be　about　one　hundred　feet　in　length　by　fifty　wide；
  and　very　lofty；　resembling　a　cathedral　aisle　more　than
  anything　else。　From　this　main　aisle　opened　passages　at
  a　distance　of　every　twelve　or　fifteen　feet；　leading；　I
  supposed；　to　smaller　chambers。　About　fifty　feet　from
  the　entrance　of　the　cave；　just　where　the　light　began
  to　get　dim；　a　fire　was　burning；　which　threw　huge
  shadows　upon　the　gloomy　walls　around。　Here　Billali
  halted；　and　asked　us　to　be　seated；　saying　that　the
  people　would　bring　us　food；　and　accordingly　we
  squatted　ourselves　down　upon　the　rugs　of　skins　which
  were　spread　for　us；　and　waited。　Presently　the　food；
  consisting　of　goat's　flesh　boiled；　fresh　milk　in　an
  earthenware　pot；　and　boiled　cobs　of　Indian　corn；　was
  brought　by　young　girls。　We　were　almost　starving；　and　I
  do　not　think　that　I　ever　in　my　life　ate　with　such
  satisfaction。　Indeed；　before　we　had　finished　we
  literally　ate　up　everything　that　was　set　before　us。
  When　we　had　done；　our　somewhat　saturnine　host；
  Billali；　who　had　been　watching　us　in　perfect　silence；
  rose　and　addressed　us。　He　said　that　it　was　a　wonderful
  thing　that　had　happened。　No　man　had　ever　known　or
  heard　of　white　strangers　arriving　in　the　country　of
  the　People　of　the　Rocks。　Sometimes；　though　rarely；
  black　men　had　come　here；　and　from　them　they　had　heard
  of　the　existence　of　men　much　whiter　than　themselves；
  who　sailed　on　the　sea　in　ships；　but　for　the　arrival　of
  such　there　was　no　precedent。　We　had；　however；　been
  seen　dragging　the　boat　up　the　canal；　and　he　told　us
  frankly　that　he　had　at　once　given　orders　for　our
  destruction；　seeing　that　it　was　unlawful　for　any
  stranger　to　enter　here；　when　a　message　had　come　from　〃
  _i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed　_i_　；〃　saying　that　our
  lives　were　to　be　spared；　and　that　we　were　to　be
  brought　hither。
  〃Pardon　me；　my　father；〃　I　interrupted　at　this　point；
  〃but　if；　as　I　understand；　_i_　She…who…must…be…obeyed
  _i_　lives　yet　farther　off；　how　could　she　have　known　of
  our　approach？〃
  Billali　turned；　and　seeing　that　we　were　alonefor　the
  young　lady；　Ustane；　had　withdrawn　when　he　had　begun　to
  speaksaid；　with　a　curious　little　laugh
  〃Are　there　none　in　your　land　who　can　see　without　eyes
  and　hear　without　ears？　Ask　no　questions；　_i_　She　_i_
  knew。〃
  I　shrugged　my　shoulders　at　this；　and　he　proceeded　to
  say　that　no　further　instructions　had　been　received　on
  the　subject　of　our　disposal；　and　this　being　so　he　was
  about　to　start　to　interview　〃　_i_　She…who…must…be…
  obeyed　_i_　；〃　generally　spoken　of；　for　the　sake　of
  brevity；　as　〃Hiya〃　or　_i_　She　_i_　simply；　who　he　gave
  us　to　understand　was　the　Queen　of　the　Amahagger；　and
  learn　her　wishes。
  I　asked　him　how　long　he　proposed　to　be　away；　and　he
  said　that　by　travelling　hard　he　might　be　back　on　the
  fifth　day；　but　there　were　many　miles　of　marsh　to　cross
  before　he　came　to　where　_i_　She　_i_　was。　He　then　said
  that　every　arrangement　would　be　made　for　our　comfort
  during　his　absence；　and　that；　as　he　personally　had
  taken　a　fancy　to　us；　he　sincerely　trusted　that　the
  answer　he　should　bring　from　_i_　She　_i_　would　be　one
  favorable　to　the　c