INTERVIEW WITH SICOMY. 275 



,s the invariable Bechuana acknowledgment of a salu- 

 tation. Often, however, when I saluted the natives, 

 they acknowledged my salutation by saying " Eh ! 

 keitumela, cosi a Machoa;" signifying "Eh! thank 

 you, king of the white men." Having saluted the king, 

 the Booby men at once proceeded to expatiate upon the 

 difficulty they had had in prevailing upon the great 

 white man to visit his dominions, and the meritorious 

 manner in which they had conducted me thither; for 

 which the king expressed his gratitude, and ordered 

 " boyalwa," or native beer, to be placed before them. 

 Sicomy remained long at the wagons, engaged in deep 

 and constant conversation with my interpreter and sev- 

 eral of his elder counselors, and at a late hour he de- 

 parted, promising to visit us early on the following day. 

 Fearing that any of his people might come and trade 

 with me during his absence, the king instructed his 

 uncle Mutchuisho, with a retinue, to remain beside the 

 wagons during the night. 



At an early hour on the following morning the king 

 made his appearance, attended by a number of his war- 

 riors, all carrying their battle gear. I was still in 

 bed, and, seeing the king peeping into my wagon, I 

 pretended to be asleep. Presently I observed a sav- 

 age coming up the glen bearing on his shoulders a 

 bull 'elephant's tooth, which he laid under the wagon. 

 Coffee was now announced, so I arose, and the king 

 breakfasted with me. I had resolved to say as little as 

 possible about the trading, and to appear Very indiffer- 

 ent, a system indispensable in trading with the natives, 

 which at all times progresses slowly, but much more 

 so if the trader allows them to imagine that he is very 

 anxious to obtain possession of their goods.* 



* In trading with the Bechiiauas, the most .iifficuU point is agreeing 



