THE "KASENDI." 525 



my ox Lad been bitten were marked by patches of hair about 

 half an inch broad being wetted by exudation. Poor Sinbad 

 had carried me all the way from the Leeba to Golungo Alto, 

 and all the way back again, without losing any of his peculi- 

 arities, or ever becoming reconciled to our perversity in forcing 

 him away each morning from the pleasant pasturage on which 

 he had fed. I wished to give the climax to his usefulness, and 

 allay our craving for animal food at the same time ; but my men 

 having some compunction, we carried him to end his days in peace 

 at Naliele. 



Having dispatched a message to our old friend Manenko, we 

 waited a day opposite her village, which was about fifteen miles 

 from the river. Her husband was instantly dispatched to meet 

 us with liberal presents of food, she being unable to travel in con- 

 sequence of a burn on the foot. Sambanza gave us a detailed ac- 

 count of the political affairs of the country, and of Kolimbota's 

 evil doings, and next morning performed the ceremony called 

 '-'-Kasendi" for cementing our friendship. It is accomplished 

 thus : The hands of the parties are joined (in this case Pitsane and 

 Sambanza were the parties engaged) ; small incisions are made on 

 the clasped hands, on the pits of the stomach of each, and on the 

 right cheeks and foreheads. A small quantity of blood is taken 

 off from these points in both parties by means of a stalk of grass. 

 The blood from one person is put into a pot of beer, and that of 

 the second into another ; each then drinks the other's blood, and 

 they are supposed to become perpetual friends or relations. Dur- 

 ing the drinking of the beer, some of the party continue beating 

 the ground with short clubs, and utter sentences by way of rati- 

 fying the treaty. The men belonging to each then finish the 

 beer. The principals in the performance of " -KasendV are hence- 

 forth considered blood-relations, and are bound to disclose to each 

 other any impending evil. If Sekeletu should resolve to attack 

 the Balonda, Pitsane would be under obligation to give Sambanza 

 warning to escape, and so on the other side. They now present- 

 ed each other with the most valuable presents they had to bestow. 

 Sambanza walked off with Pitsane's suit of green baize faced with 

 red, which had been made in Loanda, and Pitsane, besides abund- 

 ant supplies of food, obtained two shells similar to that I had re- 

 ceived from Shinte. 



