PAT AND A. 231 



some himself first in my presence, which he did of 

 his own accord to show it was not poisoned. Some 

 heads of Indian corn were then roasted, and brought 

 for myself and the men. All were busy spinning and 

 weaving cotton, which seemed to be extensively cul- 

 tivated, and the people were well clad in garments of 

 their own manufacture. Here I first saw natives with 

 long hair, or rather wool, the locks of some of both 

 sexes being as long as two feet, and in appearance 

 little else than matted ropes. One man, who had 

 just come out of his hairdresser's hands, had all these 

 twists combed out, and presented a most ridiculous 

 aspect, as almost every hair stood straight out from 

 his head. They informed me that we were not far 

 from Cotondway's, and that he was a great chief. 

 Giving a small bit of calico to the man who had 

 brought me the pombe, &c., I left the village, and 

 was soon in the river-bed again. 



About two o'clock we were close to Patanda, an 

 extensive village on the north bank of the river, 

 covering a quarter of a mile of ground, and the country 

 round which was cultivated with cotton and corn of 

 various kinds. When within half a mile of this place I 

 ordered a halt, and sent a messenger to Cotondway 

 to say I was a great white chief, who had come to see 

 him and his people, and teach them to kill the ele- 

 phant and buifalo. Crowds had already assembled 

 outside the village as we approached, and into the 

 middle of one of these the plucky Moloka, who took 

 this message, went unarmed. 



I watched him anxiously with the glasses, and could 

 observe that he was being closely examined. At last, 



