MAKOLOLO FORAY. 267 



There we heard that a party of the Makololo, headed by Lerimo, 

 had made a foray to the north and up the Leeba, in the very 

 direction in which we were about to proceed. Mpololo, the un- 

 cle of Sekeletu, is considered the head man of the Barotse valley ; 

 and the perpetrators had his full sanction, because Masiko, a son 

 of Santuru, the former chief of the Barotse, had fled high up the 

 Leeambye, and, establishing himself there, had sent men down 

 to the vicinity of Naliele to draw away the remaining Barotse 

 from their allegiance. Lerimo's party had taken some of this 

 Masiko's subjects prisoners, and destroyed several villages of 

 the Balonda, to whom we were going. This was in direct oppo- 

 sition to the policy of Sekeletu, who wished to be at peace with 

 these northern tribes ; and Pitsane, my head man, was the bearer 

 of orders to Mpololo to furnish us with presents for the very chiefs 

 they had attacked. Thus we were to get large pots of clarified 

 butter and bunches of beads, in confirmation of the message of 

 peace we were to deliver. 



When we reached Litofe, we heard that a fresh foray was in 

 contemplation, but I sent forward orders to disband the party im- 

 mediately. At Ma-Sekeletu's town we found the head offender, 

 Mpololo himself, and I gave him a bit of my mind, to the effect 

 that, as I was going with the full sanction of Sekeletu, if any 

 harm happened to me in consequence of his ill-advised expedi- 

 tion, the guilt would rest with him. Ma-Sekeletu, who was pres- 

 ent, heartily approved all I said, and suggested that all the cap- 

 tives taken by Lerimo should be returned by my hand, to show 

 Masiko that the guilt of the foray lay not with the superior per- 

 sons of the Makololo, but with a mere servant. Her good sense 

 appeared in other respects besides, and, as this was exactly 

 what my own party had previously resolved to suggest, we were 

 pleased to hear Mpololo agree to do what he was advised. He 

 asked me to lay the matter before the under-chiefs of Naliele, 

 and when we reached that place, on the 9th of December, I 

 did so in a picho, called expressly for the purpose. Lerimo 

 was present, and felt rather crestfallen when his exploit was 

 described by Mohorisi, one of my companions, as one of ex- 

 treme cowardice, he having made an attack upon the defenseless 

 villagers of Londa, while, as we had found on our former visit, 

 a lion had actually killed eight people of Naliele without his 



