XVI REACH SITANDA'S 331 



January 6th. — Got on to a little town close to 

 Sitanda's kraal, the chief of the country. Here we 

 stopped, and breakfasted off a handful of ground- 

 nuts, whilst messengers went on to announce our 

 arrival. About 2 p.m. they returned, saying that 

 we were to come nearer to see the great man of the 

 country, and at the same time bring a present for him. 

 Half an hour's walk brought us within sight ot a 

 small collection of huts, where we were met by a young 

 Kafir, who informed us that we must not approach 

 nearer the chief that day, and at the same time 

 pointed out to us the spot assigned for our encamp- 

 ment. That the chief of so small, poor, and miserable 

 a nation should keep up so much state surprised us 

 not a little. However, not wishing to be guilty of 

 a breach of etiquette, and caring very little whether 

 we saw him now or a month hence, or not at all, we 

 complied with his wishes in everything, except that, 

 instead of camping where he wished us, we moved 

 down to the ready-made huts of the Portuguese 

 trader, Joaquim da Costa, for whom we had a letter 

 from Mendon^a, and whom we had hoped and expected 

 to find here. Unfortunately, however, having suffered 

 much from fever, he had left for the Kafukwe five 

 days before our arrival. At the same time we sent 

 Sitanda a piece of coloured cloth and a cotton sheet, 

 and an intimation that we were hungry. Presently 

 a message came back thanking us for the present, 

 and — curiosity having probably overcome dignity- — 

 requesting us to pay him a visit. So up we went. 

 We found the old fellow a slight-built old Kafir, 

 with an astute thin-featured face, sitting outside his 

 hut with about a dozen cronies. When his people 

 first come up to him to report any news, they roll on 

 their backs in the dust before him, and subsequently. 



