closely　resembles　the　Norfolk　red…pole　strain；　only　it
  has　horns　which　generally　curve　forward　over　the　head；
  sometimes　to　such　an　extent　that　they　have　to　be　cut
  to　prevent　them　from　growing　into　the　bones　of　the
  skull；　The　goats　are　long…haired；　and　are　used　for
  eating　only；　at　least　I　never　saw　them　milked。　As　for
  the　Amahagger　cultivation；　it　is　primitive　in　the
  extreme；　being　all　done　by　means　of　a　spade　made　of
  iron；　for　these　people　smelt　and　work　iron。　This　spade
  is　shaped　more　like　a　big　spearshead　than　anything
  else；　and　has　no　shoulder　to　it　on　which　the　foot　can
  be　set。　As　a　consequence；　the　labor　of　digging　is　very
  great。　It　is；　however；　all　done　by　the　men；　the　women；
  contrary　to　the　habits　of　most　savage　races；　being
  entirely　exempt　from　manual　toil。　But　then；　as　I　think
  I　have　said　elsewhere；　among　the　Amahagger　the　weaker
  sex　has　established　its　rights。
  At　first　we　were　much　puzzled　as　to　the　origin　and
  constitution　of　this　extraordinary　race；　points　upon
  which　they　were　singularly　uucommunicative。　As　the
  time　went　on　for　the　next　four　days　passed　without　any
  striking　eventwe　learned　something　from　Leo's　lady
  friend　Ustane；　who；　by　the　way；　stuck　to　that　young
  gentleman　like　his　own　shadow。　As　to　origin；　they　had
  none；　at　least；　so　far　as　she　was　aware。　There　were；
  however；　she　informed　us；　mounds　of　masonry　and　many
  pillars　near　the　place　where　_i_　She　_i_　lived；　which
  was　called　Ko^r；　and　which　the　wise　said　had　once　been
  houses　wherein　men　lived；　and　it　was　suggested　that
  they　were　descended　from　these　men。　No　one；　however；
  dared　go　near　these　great　ruins　because　they　were
  haunted：　they　only　looked　on　them　from　a　distance。
  Other　similar　ruins　were　to　be　seen；　she　had　heard；　in
  various　parts　of　the　country；　that　is；　wherever　one　of
  the　mountains　rose　above　the　level　of　the　swamp。　Also
  the　caves　in　which　they　lived　had　been　hollowed　out　of
  the　rocks　by　men；　perhaps　the　same　who　built　the
  cities。　They　themselves　had　no　written　laws；　only
  custom；　which　was；　however；　quite　as　binding　as　law。
  If　any　man　offended　against　the　custom；　he　was　put　to
  death　by　order　of　the　Father　of　the　〃household。〃　I
  asked　how　he　was　put　to　death；　and　she　only　smiled；
  and　said　that　I　might　see　one　day　soon。
  They　had　a　queen；　however。　_i_　She　_i_　was　their
  queen；　but　she　was　very　rarely　seen；　perhaps　once　in
  two　or　three　years；　when　she　came　forth　to　pass
  sentence　on　some　offenders；　and　when　seen　was　muffled
  up　in　a　big　cloak；　so　that　nobody　could　look　upon　her
  face。　Those　who　waited　upon　her　were　deaf　and　dumb；
  and　therefore　could　tell　no　tales；　but　it　was　reported
  that　she　was　lovely　as　no　other　woman　was　lovely；　or
  ever　had　been。　It　was　rumored　also　that　she　was
  immortal；　and　had　power。　over　all　things；　but　she；
  Ustane；　could　say　nothing　of　all　that。　What　she
  believed　was　that　the　queen　chose　a　husband　from　time
  to　time；　and　as　soon　as　a　female　child　was　born　this
  husband；　who　was　never　again　seen；　was　put　to　death。
  Then　the　female　child　grew　up　and　took　the　place　of
  the　queen　when　its　mother　died　and　had　been　buried　in
  the　great　caves。　But　of　these　matters　none　could　speak
  for　certain。　Only　_i_　She　_i_　was　obeyed　throughout
  the　length　and　breadth　of　the　land；　and　to　question
  her　command　was　certain　death。　_i_　She　_i_　kept　a
  guard；　but　had　no　regular　army；　and　to　disobey　her　was
  to　die。
  I　asked　what　size　the　land　was；　and　how　many　people
  lived　in　it。　She　answered　that　there　were　ten
  〃households；〃　like　this　that　she　knew　of；　including
  the　big　〃household；〃　where　the　queen　was；　that　all　the
  〃households〃　lived　in　caves；　in　places　resembling　this
  stretch　of　raised　country；　dotted　about　in　a　vast
  extent　of　swamp；　which　was　only　to　be　threaded　by
  secret　paths。　Often　the　〃households〃　made　war　on　each
  other　until　_i_　She　_i_　sent　word　that　it　was　to　stop；
  and　then　they　instantly　ceased。　That　and　the　fever
  which　they　caught　in　crossing　the　swamps　prevented
  their　numbers　from　increasing　too　much。　They　had　no
  connection　with　any　other　race；　indeed　none　lived　near
  them；　or　were　able　to　thread　the　vast　swamps。　Once　an
  army　from　the　direction　of　the　great　river　（presumably
  the　Zambesi）　had　attempted　to　attack　them；　but　they
  got　lost　in　the　marshes；　and　at　night；　seeing　the
  great　balls　of　fire　that　move　about　there；　tried　to
  come　to　them；　thinking　that　they　marked　the　enemy's
  camp；　and　half　of　them　were　drowned。　As　for　the　rest；
  they　soon　died　of　fever　and　starvation；　not　a　blow
  being　struck　at　them。　The　marshes；　she　told　us；　were
  absolutely　impassable　except　to　those　who　knew　the
  paths；　adding；　what　I　could　well　believe；　that　we
  should　never　have　reached　this　place　where　we　then
  were　had　we　not　been　brought　thither。
  These　and　many　other　things　we　learned　from　Ustane
  during　the　four　days　pause　before　our　real　adventures
  began　gave　us　considerable　cause　for　thought。　The
  whole　thing　was　exceedingly　remarkable；　almost
  incredibly　so；　indeed；　and　the　oddest　part　of　it　was
  that　so　far　it　did　more　or　less　correspond　to　the
  ancient　writing　on　the　sherd。　And　now　it　appeared　that
  there　was　a　mysterious　queen　clothed　by　rumor　with
  dread　and　wonderful　attributes；　and　commonly　known　by
  the　impersonal　but；　to　my　mind；　rather　awesome　title
  of　_i_　She　_i_　。　Altogether；　I　could　not　make　it　out；
  nor　could　Leo；　though　of　course　he　was　exceedingly
  triumphant　over　me　because　I　had　persistently　mocked
  at　the　whole　thing。　As　for　Job；　he　had　long　since
  abandoned　any　attempt　to　call　his　reason　his　own；　and
  left　it　to　drift　on　the　sea　of　circumstance。　Mahomed；
  the　Arab；　who　was；　by　the　way；　treated　civilly　indeed；
  but　with　chilling　contempt；　by　the　Amahagger；　was；　I
  discovered；　in　a　great　fright；　though　I　could　not
  quite　make　out　what　he　was　frightened　about。　He　would
  sit　crouched　in　a　corner　of　the　cave　all　day　long；
  calling　upon　Allah　and　the　Prophet　to　protect　him。
  When　I　pressed　him　about　it；　he　said　that　he　was
  afraid　because　these　people　were　not　men　and　women　at
  all；　but　devils；　and　that　this　was　an　enchanted　land；
  and；　upon　my　word；　once　or　twice　since　then　I　have
  been　inclined　to　agree　with　him。　And　so　the　time　went
  on；　till　the　night　of　the　fourth　day　after　Billali　had
  left；　when　something　happened。
  We　three　and　Ustane　were　sitting　round　a　fire　in　the
  cave　just　before　bedtime；　when　suddenly　the　woman；　who
  had　been　brooding　in　silence；　rose；　and　laid　her　hand
  upon　Leo's　golden　curls；　and　addressed　him。　Even　now；
  when　I　shut　my　eyes；　I　can　see　her　proud；　imperial
  form；　clothed　alternately　in　dense　shadow　and　the　red
  flickering　of　the　fire；　as　she　stood；　the　wild　centre
  of　as　weird　a　scene　as　I　ever　witnessed；　and　delivered
  herself　of　the　burden　of　her　thoughts　and　forebodings
  in　a　kind　of　rhythmical　speech　that　ran　something
  follows：
  ＇poem　in　italics＇
  〃Thou　art　my　chosenI　have　waited
  for　thee　from　the　beginning！
  Thou　art　very　beautiful。　Who　hath
  hair　like　unto　thee；　or　skin　so
  white？
  Who　hath　so　strong　an　arm；　who　is
  so　much　a　man。
  Thine　eyes　are　the　sky；　and　the　light
  in　them　is　the　stars。
  Thou　art　perfect　and　of　a　happy　face；
  and　my　heart　turned　itself　towards　thee。
  Ay；　when　mine　eyes　fell　on　thee　I　did
  desire　thee
  Then　did　I　take　thee　to　methou；　my
  Beloved；
  And　hold　thee　fast；　lest　harm　should
  come　unto　thee。
  Ay；　I　did　cover　thine　head　with　mine
  hair；　lest　the　sun　should　strike　it；
  And　altogether　was　I　thine；　and　thou
  wast　altogether　mine。
  And　so　it　went　for　a　little　space；　till
  Time　was　in　labor　with　an　evil
  Day；
  And　then　what　befell　on　that　day？
  Alas！　my　Beloved；　I　know　not！
  But　I；　I　saw　thee　no　moreI；　I　was
  lost　in　the　blackness。
  And　she　who　is　stronger　did　take　thee；
  ay；　she　who　is　fairer　than　Ustane。
  Yet　didst　thou　turn　and　call　upon　me；
  and　let　thine　eyes　wander　in　the
  darkness。
  But；　nevertheless；　she　prevailed　by
  Beauty；　and　led　thee　down　horrible
  places；　And　then；　ah！　then　my　Beloved〃
  Here　this　extraordinary　woman　broke　off　her　speech；　or
  chant；　which　was　so　much　musical　gibberish　to　us；　for
  all　that　we　understood　of　what　she　was　talking　about；
  and　seemed　to　fix　her　flashing　eyes　upon　the　deep
  shadow　before　her。　Then　in　a　moment　they　acquired　a
  vacant；　terrified　stare；　as　though　they　were　striving
  to　realize　some　half　seen　horror。　She　lifted　her　hand
  from　Leo's　head；　and　pointed　into　the　darkness。　We　all
  looked；　and　could　see　nothing；　but　she　saw　something；
  or　thought　she　did；　and　something　evidently　that
  affected　even　her　iron　nerves；　for；　without　another
  sound；　down　she　fell　senseless　between　us。
  Leo；　who　was　growing　really　attached　to　this
  remarkable　young　person；　was　in　a　great　state　of　alarm
  and　distress；　and　I；　to　be　perfectly　candid；　was　in　a
  condition　not　far　removed　from　superstitious　fear。　The
  whole　scene　was　an　uncanny　one。
  Presently；　however；　she　recovered；　and　sat　up　with　an
  extraordinary　convulsive　shudder。
  〃What　didst　thou　mean；　Ustane？〃　asked　Leo；　who；　thanks
  to　years　of　tuition；　spoke　Arabic　very　prettily。
  〃Nay；　my　chosen；〃