INTERVIEW "WITH MOSIELELY. 207 



the missionaries. It \Yas amusing to remarA, in the 

 costume of the Bakatlas on this occasion, the progress 

 of the march of civilization. All those who had man- 

 aged to get hold of some European article of dress had 

 donned it, some appearing in trowsers without shirts, 

 and others in shirts without trowsers. 



The 2d of June was the coldest day I had experienced 

 in Africa, a cutting cold wind blowing oft' the Southern 

 Ocean. On the morning of the 2d I was waited upon 

 Dy Mosielely, attended by a number of his nobility and 

 others of the tribe, who flocked around my wagons im- 

 portunately requesting snufF. The appearance of the 

 chief was mild, but not dignified. One of his generals, 

 with whom he seemed to be on very intimate terms, 

 was a jolly-looking old warrior with a wall eye, and a 

 face strongly marked with the small-pox. This man's 

 name was " Siemi." He had killed about twenty men 

 in battle with his own hand, and bore a mark of honor 

 for every man. This mark was a line tattooed on his 

 ribs. Mosielely presented me with a bag of sour milk, 

 and requested that I would tarry with him for a few 

 days for the purpose of trading. I informed him that 

 I was now anxious to push on to the country of the ele- 

 phants, but would trade with him on my return. This 

 intimation seemed very much to disappoint the king, 

 who was anxious to exchange karosses for guns and 

 ammunition. But I had resolved to part with my mus- 

 kets solely for ivory, which article Mosielely on this 

 particular occasion did not possess.* 



* The Bakatlas wosk a gi-eat deal in iron, manufacturing various ar- 

 ticles, with which they supply the neighboring tribes. They obtain 

 their iron from ore, which they procure by excavating in the surround- 

 ing mountains. This ore is smelted in crucibles, a great deal of the 

 metal being wasted, and only the best and purest being preserved. 

 They use a sort of double bellows, consisting of two hags of skin, by 



