SECHELE'S POSITION AS CHIEF. 51 



savages, he became greatly excited, and called one of his follow- 

 ers to answer me. He threatened to attack any tribe that might 

 receive a native teacher, yet he promised to use his influence to 

 prevent those under him from throwing obstacles in our way. I 

 could perceive plainly that nothing more could be done in that 

 direction, so I commenced collecting all the information I could 

 about the desert, with the intention of crossing it, if possible. Se- 

 komi, the chief of the Bamangwato, was acquainted with a route 

 which he kept carefully to himself, because the Lake country 

 abounded in ivory, and he drew large quantities thence periodi- 

 cally at but small cost to himself. 



Sechele, who valued highly every thing European, and was al- 

 ways fully alive to his own interest, was naturally anxious to get 

 a share of that inviting field. He was most anxious to visit Se- 

 bituane too, partly, perhaps, from a wish to show off his new ac- 

 quirements, but chiefly, I believe, from having very exalted ideas 

 of the benefits he would derive from the liberality of that renown- 

 ed chieftain. In age and family Sechele is the elder and superior 

 of Sekomi ; for when the original tribe broke up into Bamangwa- 

 to, Bangwaketse, and Bakwains, the Bakwains retained the hered- 

 itary chieftainship ; so their chief, Sechele, possesses certain ad- 

 vantages over Sekomi, the chief of the Bamangwato. If the two 

 were traveling or hunting together, Sechele would take, by right, 

 the heads of the game shot by Sekomi. 



There are several vestiges, besides, of very ancient partitions 

 and lordships of tribes. The elder brother of Sechele's father, be- 

 coming blind, gave over the chieftainship to Sechele's father. The 

 descendants of this man pay no tribute to Sechele, though he is 

 the actual ruler, and superior to the head of that family ; and Se- 

 chele, while in every other respect supreme, calls him Kosi, or 

 Chief. The other tribes will not begin to eat the early pumpkins 

 of a new crop until they hear that the Bahurutse have " bitten it," 

 and there is a public ceremony on the occasion — the son of the 

 chief being the first to taste of the new harvest. 



Sechele, by my advice, sent men to Sekomi, asking leave for 

 me to pass along his path, accompanying the request with the 

 present of an ox. Sekomi's mother, who possesses great influence 

 over him, refused permission, because she had not been propitiated. 

 This produced a fresh message ; and the most honorable man in 



