EXECUTION OF TWO CONSPIRATORS. 235 



There are but few trees in this valley: those which stand on the 

 mounds were nearly all transplanted by Santuru for shade. The 

 soil is extremely fertile, and the people are never in want of grain, 

 for, by taking advantage of the moisture of the inundation, they 

 can take two crops a year. The Barotse are strongly attached to 

 this fertile valley ; they say, " Here hunger is not known." There 

 are so many things besides corn which a man can find in it for 

 food, that it is no wonder they desert from Linyanti to return to 

 this place. 



The great valley is not put to a tithe of the use it might be. 

 It is covered with coarse succulent grasses, which afford ample 

 pasturage for large herds of cattle ; these thrive wonderfully, 

 and give milk copiously to their owners. When the valley is 

 flooded, the cattle are compelled to leave it and go to the higher 

 lands, where they fall off in condition ; their return is a time of 



joj- 

 lt is impossible to say whether this valley, which contains so 



much moisture, would raise wheat as the valley of the Nile does. 



It is probably too rich, and would make corn run entirely to straw, 



for one species of grass was observed twelve feet high, with a 



stem as thick as a man's thumb. At present the pasturage is 



never eaten off, though the Makololo possess immense herds of 



cattle. 



There are no large towns, the mounds on which the towns and 

 villages are built being all small, and the people require to live 

 apart on account of their cattle. 



This visit was the first Sekeletu had made to these parts since 

 he attained the chieftainship. Those who had taken part with 

 Mpepe were consequently in great terror. When we came to the 

 town of Mpepe's father, as he and another man had counseled 

 Mamochisane to put Sekeletu to death and marry Mpepe, the two 

 were led forth and tossed into the river. Nokuane was again one 

 of the executioners. When I remonstrated against human blood 

 being shed in the offhand way in which they were proceeding, the 

 counselors justified their acts by the evidence given by Mamo- 

 chisane, and calmly added, " You see we are still Boers ; we are 

 not yet taught." 



Mpepe had given full permission to the Mambari slave-dealers 

 to trade in all the Batoka and Bashukulompo villages to the 



