Копи царя Соломона
We Enter Kukuanaland
Allalongeachsideofthiswidepathwaythatpiercesthekraalwererangedhundredsofwomen,broughtoutbycuriositytolookatus. Thesewomen,foranativerace,areexceedinglyhandsome. Theyaretallandgraceful,andtheirfiguresarewonderfullyfine. Thehair,thoughshort,israthercurlythanwoolly,thefeaturesarefrequentlyaquiline,andthelipsarenotunpleasantlythick,asisthecaseamongmostAfricanraces. Butwhatstruckusmostwastheirexceedinglyquietanddignifiedair. Theywereaswell-bredintheirwayasthehabituéesofafashionabledrawing-room, andinthisrespecttheydifferfromZuluwomenandtheircousinstheMasaiwhoinhabitthedistrictbeyondZanzibar. Theircuriosityhadbroughtthemouttoseeus,buttheyallowednorudeexpressionsofastonishmentorsavagecriticismtopasstheirlipsaswetrudgedwearilyinfrontofthem. NotevenwhenoldInfadooswithasurreptitiousmotionofthehandpointedoutthecrowningwonderofpoorGood’s"beautifulwhitelegs," didtheysufferthefeelingofintenseadmirationwhichevidentlymasteredtheirmindstofindexpression. Theyfixedtheirdarkeyesuponthisnewandsnowyloveliness,for,asIthinkIhavesaid,Good’sskinisexceedinglywhite,andthatwasall. ButitwasquiteenoughforGood,whoismodestbynature.
Whenwereachedthecentreofthekraal,Infadooshaltedatthedoorofalargehut,whichwassurroundedatadistancebyacircleofsmallerones.