TheMakololoarecowardlyinrespecttoanimals,butbraveagainstmen。
Mpololotookalltheguiltuponhimselfbeforethepeople,anddeliveredupacaptivechildwhomhiswifehadinherpossession;othersfollowedhisexample,tillweprocuredthereleaseoffiveoftheprisoners。
Somethought,asMasikohadtriedtotaketheirchildrenbystratagem,theyoughttotakehisbyforce,asthetwomodessuitedthegeniusofeachpeopletheMakalakadelightincunning,andtheMakololoinfighting;andothersthought,ifSekeletumeantthemtobeatpeacewithMasiko,heoughttohavetoldthemso。
Itisratherdangeroustotreadinthefootstepsofamaraudingpartywithmenofthesametribeastheaggressors,butmypeoplewereingoodspirits,andseveralvolunteersevenofferedtojoinourranks。
We,however,adheredstrictlytotheordersofSekeletuastoourcompanions,andrefusedallothers。
Thepeopleofeveryvillagetreatedusmostliberally,presenting,besidesoxen,butter,milk,andmeal,morethanwecouldstowawayinourcanoesThecowsinthisvalleyarenowyielding,astheyfrequentlydo,moremilkthanthepeoplecanuse,andbothmenandwomenpresentbutterinsuchquantitythatIshallbeabletorefreshmymenaswemovealongAnointingtheskinpreventstheexcessiveevaporationofthefluidsofthebody,andactsasclothinginbothsunandshadeTheyalwaysmadetheirpresentsgracefully。
Whenanoxwasgiven,theownerwouldsay,“Hereisalittlebitofbreadforyou。”Thiswaspleasing,forIhadbeenaccustomedtotheBechuanaspresentingamiserablegoat,withthepompousexclamation,“Beholdanox!”
Thewomenpersistedingivingmecopioussuppliesofshrillpraises,or“lullilooing“;but,thoughIfrequentlytoldthemtomodifytheir“greatlords“and“greatlions“tomorehumbleexpressions,theysoevidentlyintendedtodomehonorthatIcouldnothelpbeingpleasedwiththepoorcreatures’wishesforoursuccess。
TherainsbeganwhilewewereatNaliele;thisismuchlaterthanusual;
but,thoughtheBarotsevalleyhasbeeninneedofrain,thepeopleneverlackabundanceoffoodTheshowersarerefreshing,buttheairfeelshotandclose;thethermometer,however,inacoolhut,standsonlyat84DegTheaccessoftheexternalairtoanyspotatonceraisesitstemperatureabove90DegAnewattackoffeverherecausedexcessivelanguor;but,asIamalreadygettingtiredofquotingmyfevers,andneverlikedtoreadtravelsmyselfwheremuchwassaidabouttheillnessesofthetraveler,Ishallhenceforthendeavortosaylittleaboutthem。
WeheresentbackthecanoeofSekeletu,andgottheloanofothersfromMpololoEightridingoxen,andsevenforslaughter,were,accordingtotheordersofthatchief,alsofurnished;
somewereintendedforourownuse,andothersaspresentstothechiefsoftheBalondaMpololowasparticularlyliberalingivingallthatSekeletuordered,though,ashefeedsonthecattlehehasincharge,hemighthavefeltitsomuchabstractedfromhisownperquisitesMpololonowactsthegreatman,andisfollowedeverywherebyacrowdoftoadies,whosingsongsindisparagementofMpepe,ofwhomhealwayslivedinfear。
WhileMpepewasalive,hetoowasregaledwiththesamefulsomeadulation,andnowtheycursehimTheyareveryfoul-tongued;equals,onmeeting,oftengreeteachotherwithaprofusionofoaths,andendthevolleywithalaugh。
IncominguptherivertoNalielewemetapartyoffugitiveBarotsereturningtotheirhomes,and,asthecircumstanceillustratesthesocialstatusofthesesubjectsoftheMakololo,Iintroduceithere。
Thevillagersinquestionwerethechildren,orserfs,ifwemayusetheterm,ofayoungmanofthesameageandtribeasSekeletu,who,beingofanirritabletemper,wentbythenicknameofSekobinyane
alittleslavishthingHistreatmentofhisservantswassobadthatmostofthemhadfled;andwhentheMambaricame,and,contrarytotheordersofSekeletu,purchasedslaves,SekobinyanesoldoneortwooftheBarotsechildrenofhisvillage。
TherestfledimmediatelytoMasiko,andweregladlyreceivedbythatBarotsechiefashissubjects。
WhenSekeletuandIfirstascendedtheLeeambye,wemetSekobinyanecomingdown,onhiswaytoLinyantiOnbeingaskedthenews,heremainedsilentaboutthelossofhisvillage,itbeingconsideredacrimeamongtheMakololoforanyonetotreathispeoplesoillastocausethemtorunawayfromhimHethenpassedus,and,dreadingthevengeanceofSekeletuforhiscrime,secretlymadehisescapefromLinyantitoLakeNgamiHewassentfor,however,andthechiefatthelakedeliveredhimup,onSekeletudeclaringthathehadnointentionofpunishinghimotherwisethanbyscolding。
Hedidnotevendothat,asSekobinyanewasevidentlyterrifiedenough,andalsobecameillthroughfear。
ThefugitivevillagersremainedonlyafewweekswiththeirnewmasterMasiko,andthenfledbackagain,andwerereceivedasiftheyhaddonenothingwrong。
AllunitedinabusingtheconductofSekobinyane,andnoonecondemnedthefugitives;andthecattle,theuseofwhichtheyhadpreviouslyenjoyed,neverhavingbeenremovedfromtheirvillage,theyre-establishedthemselveswithapparentgladness。
Thisincidentmaygivesomeideaoftheserfdomofthesubjecttribes,and,exceptthattheyaresometimespunishedforrunningawayandotheroffenses,Icanaddnothingmorebywayofshowingthetruenatureofthisformofservitude。
LeavingNaliele,amidabundanceofgoodwishesforthesuccessofourexpedition,andhopesthatwemightreturnaccompaniedwithwhitetraders,webeganagainourascentoftheriverItwasnowbeginningtorise,thoughtherainshadbutjustcommencedinthevalleyThebanksarelow,butcleanlycut,andseldomslopingAtlowwatertheyarefromfourtoeightfeethigh,andmaketheriveralwaysassumeverymuchtheaspectofacanalTheyareinsomepartsofwhitish,tenaciousclay,withstrataofblackclayintermixed,andblackloaminsand,orpuresandstratifiedAstheriverrisesitisalwayswearingtoonesideortheother,andisknowntohavecutacrossfromonebendtoanother,andtoformnewchannelsAswecoastalongtheshore,pieceswhichareunderminedoftenfallinwithasplashlikethatcausedbytheplungeofanalligator,andendangerthecanoe。
Theseperpendicularbanksaffordbuilding-placestoaprettybee-eater,*
whichlovestobreedinsocietyThefaceofthesand-bankisperforatedwithhundredsofholesleadingtotheirnests,eachofwhichisaboutafootapartfromtheother;andaswepasstheypouroutoftheirhiding-places,andfloatoverhead。
*`Meropsapiaster’and`Mbullockoides’Smith。
Aspeckledkingfisherisseennearlyeveryhundredyards,whichbuildsinsimilarspots,andattractstheattentionofherd-boys,whodigoutitsnestforthesakeoftheyoungThis,andamostlovelylittleblueandorangekingfisher,areseeneverywherealongthebanks,dashingdownlikeashotintothewaterfortheirpreyAthird,seenmorerarely,isaslargeasapigeon,andisofaslatycolor。
Anotherinhabitantofthebanksisthesand-martin,whichalsolikescompanyintheworkofraisingafamilyTheyneverleavethispartofthecountry。
Onemayseethempreeningthemselvesintheverydepthofwinter,whiletheswallows,ofwhichweshallyetspeak,takewintertrips。
Isawsand-martinsattheOrangeRiverduringaperiodofwinterfrost;
itis,therefore,probablethattheydonotmigrateevenfromthence。
Aroundthereeds,whichinsomepartslinethebanks,weseefresh-waterspongesTheyusuallyencirclethestalk,andarehardandbrittle,presentingnumbersofsmallroundgrainsneartheircircumference。
Theriverwasrunningattherateoffivemilesanhour,andcarriedbunchesofreedanddecayingvegetablematteronitssurface;
yetthewaterwasnotdiscoloredIthad,however,aslightlyyellowish-greentinge,somewhatdeeperthanitsnaturalcolor。
Thisarosefromthequantityofsandcarriedbytherisingfloodfromsand-banks,whichareannuallyshiftedfromonespottoanother,andfromthepiecesfallinginasthebanksareworn;forwhenthewaterisallowedtostandinaglass,afewsecondssufficeforitsdepositatthebottomThisisconsideredanunhealthyperiodWhenwaiting,ononeoccasion,fortheothercanoestocomeup,IfeltnoinclinationtoleavetheoneIwasin;butmyheadboatman,Mashauana,toldmenevertoremainonboardwhilesomuchvegetablematterwasfloatingdownthestream。
17THDECEMBERAtLibontaWeweredetainedfordaystogethercollectingcontributionsoffatandbutter,accordingtotheordersofSekeletu,aspresentstotheBalondachiefsMuchfeverprevailed,andophthalmiawasrife,asisgenerallythecasebeforetherainsbegin。
Someofmyownmenrequiredmyassistance,aswellasthepeopleofLibonta。
Alionhaddoneagooddealofmischiefhere,andwhenthepeoplewenttoattackittwomenwerebadlywounded;oneofthemhadhisthigh-bonequitebroken,showingtheprodigiouspowerofthisanimal’sjaws。
Theinflammationproducedbytheteeth-woundsprovedfataltooneofthem。
Herewedemandedtheremainderofthecaptives,andgotournumberincreasedtonineteenTheyconsistedofwomenandchildren,andoneyoungmanoftwentyOneoftheboyswassmuggledawayinthecrowdasweembarkedTheMakololounder-chiefsoftenactindirectoppositiontothewilloftheheadchief,trustingtocircumstancesandbrazenfacednesstoscreenthemselvesfromhisopendispleasure;andashedoesnotalwaysfinditconvenienttonoticefaults,theyoftengotoconsiderablelengthsinwrong-doing。
LibontaisthelasttownoftheMakololo;so,whenwepartedfromit,wehadonlyafewcattle-stationsandoutlyinghamletsinfront,andthenanuninhabitedbordercountrytillwecametoLondaorLunda。
LibontaissituatedonamoundliketherestofthevillagesintheBarotsevalley,butherethetree-coveredsidesofthevalleybegintoapproachnearertheriverThevillageitselfbelongstotwoofthechiefwivesofSebituane,whofurnisheduswithanoxandabundanceofotherfoodThesamekindnesswasmanifestedbyallwhocouldaffordtogiveanything;andasIglanceovertheirdeedsofgenerosityrecordedinmyjournal,myheartglowswithgratitudetothem,andIhopeandpraythatGodmaysparemetomakethemsomereturn。
Beforeleavingthevillagesentirely,wemayglanceatourwayofspendingthenightsAssoonasweland,someofthemencutalittlegrassformybed,whileMashauanaplantsthepolesofthelittletent。
Theseareusedbydayforcarryingburdens,fortheBarotsefashionisexactlylikethatofthenativesofIndia,onlytheburdenisfastenedneartheendsofthepole,andnotsuspendedbylongcordsThebedismade,andboxesrangedoneachsideofit,andthenthetentpitchedoverall。
Fourorfivefeetinfrontofmytentisplacedtheprincipalorkotlafire,thewoodforwhichmustbecollectedbythemanwhooccupiesthepostofherald,andtakesashisperquisitetheheadsofalltheoxenslaughtered,andofallthegametooEachpersonknowsthestationheistooccupy,inreferencetothepostofhonoratthefireinfrontofthedoorofthetentThetwoMakololooccupymyrightandleft,bothineatingandsleeping,aslongasthejourneylastsButMashauana,myheadboatman,makeshisbedatthedoorofthetentassoonasIretire。
Therest,dividedintosmallcompaniesaccordingtotheirtribes,makeshedsallroundthefire,leavingahorseshoe-shapedspaceinfrontsufficientforthecattletostandinThefiregivesconfidencetotheoxen,sothemenarealwayscarefultokeeptheminsightofitTheshedsareformedbyplantingtwostoutforkedpolesinaninclineddirection,andplacinganotherovertheseinahorizontalpositionAnumberofbranchesarethenstuckinthegroundinthedirectiontowhichthepolesareinclined,thetwigsdrawndowntothehorizontalpoleandtiedwithstripsofbark。
Longgrassisthenlaidoverthebranchesinsufficientquantitytodrawofftherain,andwehaveshedsopentothefireinfront,butsecurefrombeastsbehindInlessthananhourwewereusuallyallundercoverWeneverlackedabundanceofgrassduringthewholejourneyItisapicturesquesightatnight,whentheclearbrightmoonoftheseclimatesglancesonthesleepingformsaround,tolookoutupontheattitudesofprofoundreposebothmenandbeastsassumeTherebeingnodangerfromwildanimalsinsuchanight,thefiresareallowedalmosttogoout;andasthereisnofearofhungrydogscomingoversleepersanddevouringthefood,orquietlyeatingupthepoorfellows’blankets,whichatbestwerebutgreasyskins,whichsometimeshappenedinthevillages,thepicturewasoneofperfectpeace。