. Round the black man's garden . o weigh out the value ofthe purchase. We returned in time for dinner, and retired early,thinking: w^e mio^ht have to start in g;ood time thenext morning. Our departure depended entirely onthe porters, who are all natives of the interior, andwho come down to the coast when they hear of ajob. Although they had several times before takenup the Eesident, his party and goods, and knew per-fectly well that he never gave more than a certainfixed sum, still each time they think it necessaryto bargain for more pay, and to waste several daysbefore they give in. Next morn
. Round the black man's garden . o weigh out the value ofthe purchase. We returned in time for dinner, and retired early,thinking: w^e mio^ht have to start in g;ood time thenext morning. Our departure depended entirely onthe porters, who are all natives of the interior, andwho come down to the coast when they hear of ajob. Although they had several times before takenup the Eesident, his party and goods, and knew per-fectly well that he never gave more than a certainfixed sum, still each time they think it necessaryto bargain for more pay, and to waste several daysbefore they give in. Next morning we got up early and packed. Out-side I heard a hum of voices, and going out on to theverandah, I saw a great crowd of natives all talkingand shoutino^ at once, while Monsieur dAnthouardanswered them with great calmness in their ownlanguage, looking as if he had years before him tosettle about the trip to the capital; for if he had letthem think for a moment that he was in a hurry,they would have held on to their high Silver Charms^ ^c. 112 THE ISLAND OF MYSTERY. In spite of their obstinacy, they were rather apleasant - looking set of men, with dark-skinnedfaces, and lithe gracefully-made bodies covered by ablouse-like garment reaching to the knees, which inmost cases was made out of coarse palm-fibre sack-ing, with holes cut for the neck and arms, and tiedround the waist with a string. After a long dis-cussion they departed, having temporarily got theirown way, and condemned us to another days we were sitting under the verandah waitingto know our fate, two Jilanzanas arrived, and de-posited their passengers near us. They turned outto be a certain Princess Juliette and her sister, mem-bers of the former reigning family, but by a Mau-ritius mother. In dress they were somewhat similar—wearing; loose camisoles and cotton skirts whichhad not seen the wash-tub for some time, low shoeswith buckles, and white cotton stockings very looseabout the ankles—but
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidroundblackma, bookyear1893
