522 MASIKO AND LIMBOA'S QUARREL. 



placed in the shade of my tent, which was pitched under the 

 thickest tree we could find. The sensation of cold, after the heat 

 of the day, was very keen. The Balonda at this season never 

 leave their fires till nine or ten in the morning. As the cold was 

 so great here, it was probably frosty at Linyanti ; I therefore fear- 

 ed to expose my young trees there. The latitude of Shinte's town 

 is 12° 37' 35" S., longitude 22° 47' E. 



We remained with Shinte till the 6th of July, he being unwill- 

 ing to allow us to depart before hearing in a formal manner, in 

 the presence of his greatest councilor Chebende, a message from 

 Limboa, the brother of Masiko. When Masiko fled from the 

 Makololo country in consequence of a dislike of being in a state 

 of subjection to Sebituane, he came into the territory of Shinte, 

 who received him kindly, and sent orders to all the villages in his 

 vicinity to supply him with food. Limboa fled in a westerly 

 direction with a number of people, and also became a chief. His 

 country was sometimes called Nyenko, but by the Mambari and 

 native Portuguese traders " Mboela" — the place where they 

 "turned again," or back. As one of the fruits of polygamy, the 

 children of different mothers are always in a state of variance. 

 Each son endeavors to gain the ascendency by enticing away 

 the followers of the others. The mother of Limboa being of a 

 high family, he felt aggrieved because the situation chosen by 

 Masiko was better than his. Masiko lived at a convenient dis- 

 tance from the Saloisho hills, where there is abundance of iron 

 ore, with which the inhabitants manufacture hoes, knives, etc. 

 They are also skillful in making wooden vessels. Limboa felt 

 annoyed because he was obliged to apply for these articles through 

 his brother, whom he regarded as his inferior, and accordingly 

 resolved to come into the same district. As this was looked upon 

 as an assertion of superiority which Masiko would resist, it was 

 virtually a declaration of war. Both Masiko and Shinte pleaded 

 my injunction to live in peace and friendship, but Limboa, con- 

 fident of success, now sent the message which I was about to 

 hear — " That he, too, highly approved of the ' word' I had given, 

 but would only for once transgress a little, and live at peace for 

 ever afterward." He now desired the aid of Shinte to subdue 

 his brother. Messengers came from Masiko at the same time, 

 desiring assistance to repel him. Shinte felt inclined to aid 



