540 TRADING-PARTY TO LOANDA. 



by the governor and merchants of Loanda. I explained that 

 none of these were my property, but that they were sent to show 

 the friendly feelings of the white men, and their eagerness to en- 

 ter into commercial relations with the Makololo. I then request- 

 ed my companions to give a true account of what they had seen. 

 The wonderful things lost nothing in the telling, the climax al- 

 ways being that they had finished the whole world, and had 

 turned only when there was no more land. One glib old gentle- 

 man asked, " Then you reached Ma Robert (Mrs. L.) ?" They 

 were obliged to confess that she lived a little beyond the world. 

 The presents were received with expressions of great satisfaction 

 and delight ; and on Sunday, when Sekeletu made his appearance 

 at church in his uniform, it attracted more attention than the ser- 

 mon ; and the kind expressions they made use of respecting my- 

 self were so very flattering that I felt inclined to shut my eyes. 

 Their private opinion must have tallied with their public report, 

 for I very soon received offers from volunteers to accompany me 

 to the east coast. They said they wished to be able to return 

 and relate strange things like my recent companions ; and Seke- 

 letu immediately made arrangements with the Arab Ben Habib to 

 conduct a fresh party with a load of ivory to Loanda. These, he 

 said, must go with him and learn to trade : they were not to have 

 any thing to do in the disposal of the ivory, but simply look and 

 learn. My companions were to remain and rest themselves, and 

 then return to Loanda when the others had come home. Seke- 

 letu consulted me as to sending presents back to the governor and 

 merchants of Loanda, but, not possessing much confidence in this 

 Arab, I advised him to send a present by Pitsane, as he knew who 

 ought to receive it. 



Since my arrival in England, information has been received 

 from Mr. Gabriel that this party had arrived on the west coast, 

 but that the ivory had been disposed of to some Portuguese mer- 

 chants in the interior, and the men had been obliged to carry it 

 down to Loanda. They had not been introduced to Mr. Gabriel, 

 but that gentleman, having learned that they were in the city, went 

 to them, and pronounced the names Pitsane, Mashauana, when all 

 started up and crowded round him. When Mr. G. obtained an 

 interpreter, he learned that they had been ordered by Sekeletu to 

 be sure and go to my brother, as he termed him. Mr. G. behaved 



