SEMALEMBUE AND HIS PEOPLE. 357 



nandsome way of introducing a present, for he then handed 

 five or six baskets of meal and maize, and an enormous one 

 of groundnuts. Next morning he gave me about twenty 

 baskets more of meal. I could make but a poor return for 

 his kindness; but he accepted my apologies politely, saying 

 that he knew there were no goods in the country from 

 which I had come, and, in professing great joy at the 

 words of peace I spoke, he said, "Now I shall cultivate 

 largely, in the hope of eating and sleeping in peace." It 

 is noticeable that all whom we have yet met eagerly caught 

 up the idea of living in peace as the probable effect of tho 

 gospel. They require no explanation of the existence of 

 the Deity. Sekwebu makes use of the term " Beza," and 

 they appear to understand at once. Like negroes in 

 general, they have a strong tendency to worship; and I 

 heard that Semalembue gets a good deal of ivory from the 

 surrounding tribes on pretence of having some supernatural 

 power. He transmits this to some other chiefs on the 

 Zambesi, and receives in return English cotton goods which 

 come from Mozambique by Babisa traders. My men here 

 began to sell their beads and other ornaments for cotton 

 cloth. Semalembue was accompanied by about forty peo- 

 ple, all large men. They have much wool on their heads, 

 which is sometimes drawn all together up to the crown 

 and tied there in a large tapering bunch. The forehead 

 and round by the ears is shaven close to the base of this 

 tuft. Others draw out the hair on one side and twist it 

 into little strings. The rest is taken over and hangs above 

 the ear, which gives the appearance of having a cap cocked 

 jauntily on the side of the head. 



The mode of salutation is by clapping the hands. "Various 

 parties of women came from the surrounding villages to 

 see the white man, but all seemed very much afraid. Their 

 fear, which I seldom could allay, made them, when ad- 

 dressed, clap their hands with increasing vigor. Sekwebu 

 was the only one of the Makololo who knew this part of 

 the country; and this was the region which to his mind 



