822 KINDNESS OF THE MAKOLOLO CHIEF. 



station; for, though the herds are frequently thinned by an 

 ei'idemic disease, (peripneumonia,) they breed so fast that the 

 osses are soon made good. Wherever else the Makololo 

 go, they always leave a portion of their stock in the charge 

 of herdsmen in that prolific valley. Some of the younger 

 men objected to removal because the rankness of the grass 

 at the Barotse/iid not allow of their running fast, and be- 

 cause there "it never becomes cool." 



Sekeletu at last stood up, and, addressing me, said, "I am 

 perfectly satisfied as to the great advantages for trade of 

 the path which you have opened, and think that we ought 

 to go to the Barotse, in order to make the way from us to 

 Loanda shorter; but with whom am I to live there? If 

 you were coming with us, I would remove to-morrow; but 

 now you are going to the white man's country to bring Ma 

 Eobert, and when you return you will find me near to the 

 spot on which you wish to dwell." I had then no idea 

 that any healthy spot existed in the country, and thought 

 only of a convenient central situation, adapted for inter- 

 course with the adjacent tribes and with the coast, such as 

 that near to the confluence of the Leeba and Leeambye. 



During the whole of my stay with the Makololo, Seke- 

 lutu supplied my wants abundantly, appointing some cows 

 to furnish me with milk, and, when he went out to hunt, 

 sent home orders for slaughtered oxen to be given. That 

 the food was not given in a niggardly spirit ma}'" be inferred 

 from the fact that when I proposed to depart on the 20th 

 of October he protested against my going off in such a 

 hot sun. "Only wait," said he, "for the first shower, and 

 then I will let you go." This was reasonable, for the ther- 

 mometer, placed upon a deal box in the sun, rose to 138°. 

 It stood at 108° in the shade by day, and 96° at sunset. 



I still possessed some of the coffee which I had brought 

 from Angola, and some of the sugar which I had left in my 

 wagon. So long as the sugar lasted, Sekeletu favored me 

 with his company at meals; but the sugar soon came to a 

 close. The Makololo, as formerly mentioned, were weli 



