COMMERCE AND CHRISTIANITY 27 



Dr. Theal, in his admirable history of South Africa, 

 gives an interesting account of what took place. 

 He says the envoy had several attendants with him, 

 and before him went servants carrying a chair and 

 a carpet, which was spread in front of the place 

 where the chieftain reclined, surrounded by his 

 councillors and headmen. The Portuguese envoy, 

 richly dressed and armed, introduced the subject of 

 his mission, which consisted mainly in obtaining 

 right of way to the gold-fields of Manica and Batua, 

 and in the formation of an offensive alliance against 

 the Mongas, who dwelt above the Lupata gorge on 

 the southern bank of the Zambezi, and were pro- 

 bably the ancestors of Makombe's people, who until 

 recently occupied the Baru^, and of whom we shall 

 hear more anon. Other authorities state that, in 

 addition to the foregoing, the Portuguese agent 

 also stipulated for an indemnity for the murder of 

 the ill-starred Gon^alo, and the expulsion of those 

 bHes noires the Arabs. To all these conditions, we 

 are told, the Monomotapa jojrfuUy acceded ; but 

 when it was suggested that he should embrace the 

 Christian faith in addition, his patience exhausted 

 itself, and he boisterously refused. 



In the meantime, the expedition under Barreto 

 encamped at Sena was passing through nerve- 

 shaking experiences. Owing to the unhealthiness 

 of the climate, and those causes of which we are 

 still to some extent ignorant, his men commenced 

 to die daily of fever, and his animals were de- 

 cimated by horse-sickness and fly. The chaplain 

 who accompanied him, a monk named Monclaio, 

 the recorder of what took place, filled with rehgious 



