HEATHENISM. 127 



from their customs, eat alone, he is often compelled to suffer 

 severely from hunger before another meal is ready. We 

 henceforth always worked into each other's hands by sav- 

 ing a little for each other; and when some of the sticklers 

 for use and custom grumbled, I advised them to eat like 

 men, and not like vultures. 



As this was the first visit which Sekeletu had paid to this 

 part of his dominions, it was to many a season of great joy. 

 The head-men of each village presented oxen, milk, and 

 beer, more than the horde which accompanied him could 

 devour, though their abilities in that line are something 

 wonderful. The people usually show their joy and work 

 off their excitement in dances and songs. 



As Sekeletu had been waiting for me at his mother's, we 

 left the town as soon as I arrived, and proceeded down the 

 river. Our speed with the stream was very great, for in 

 one day we went from Litofe to Gonye, a distance of forty- 

 four miles of latitude; and if we add to this the windings 

 of the river, in longitude the distance will not be much less 

 than sixty geographical miles. At this rate we soon 

 reached Sesheke, and then the town of Linyanti. 



1 had been, during a nine weeks' tour, in closer contact 

 with heathenism than I had ever been before; and though 

 all, including the chief, were as kind and attentive to me 

 as possible, and there was no want of food, (oxen being 

 slaughtered daily, sometimes ten at a time, more than suf- 

 ficient for the wants of all,) yet to endure the dancing, 

 roaring, and singing, the jesting, anecdotes, grumbling, 

 quarrelling, and murdering of these children of nature, 

 seemed more like a severe penance than any thing I had 

 before met with in the course of my missionary duties. I 

 took thence a more intense disgust at heathenism than I 

 had before, and formed a greatly-elevated opinion of the 

 latent effects of missions in the south, among tribes which 

 are reported to have been as savage as the Alakololo. The 

 indirect benefits which, to a casual observer, lie beneath the 

 surface and are inappreciable, in reference to the probable 



