SEKELETU'S COMMISSIONS. 323 



acquainted with the sugarcane, as it is cultivated by tho 

 Barotse, but never knew that sugar could be got from it. 

 "When I explained the process by which it was produced, 

 Sekeletu asked if I could not buy him an apparatus for the 

 purpose of making sugar. He said he would plant the 

 cane largely if he only had the means of making the sugar 

 from it. I replied that I was unable to purchase a mill, 

 when he instantly rejoined, "Why not take ivory to buy 

 it?" As I had been living at his expense, I was glad of 

 the opportunity to show my gratitude by serving him ; and 

 when he and his principal men understood that I was 

 willing to execute a commission, Sekeletu gave me an 

 order for a sugar-mill, and for all the different varieties of 

 clothing that he had ever seen, especially a mohair coat, a 

 good rifle, beads, brass wire, &c. &c, and wound up by 

 saying, "And any other beautiful thing you may see in 

 your own country." As to the quantity of ivory required 

 to execute the commission, I said I feared that a large 

 amount would be necessary. Both he and his councillors 

 replied, " The ivory is all your own : if you leave any in 

 the country it will be your own fault." He was also 

 anxious for horses. The two I had left with him when I 

 went to Loanda were still living, and had been of great use 

 to him in hunting the giraffe and eland; and he was now 

 anxious to have a breed. This, I thought, might be ob- 

 tained at the Portuguese settlements. All were very much 

 delighted with the donkeys we had brought from Loanda. 

 As we found that they were not affected by the bite of the 

 tsetse, and there was a prospect of the breed being con- 

 tinued, it was gratifying to see the experiment of their 

 introduction so far successful. The donkeys came as 

 frisky as kids all the way from Loanda until we began 

 to descend the Leeambye. There we came upon so many 

 interlacing branches of the river, and were obliged to 

 drag them through such masses of tangled aquatic plants^ 

 that we half drowned them, and were at last obliged cq 

 leave them, somewhat exhausted, at Naliele. They excited 



