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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