(308 SEMALEMBUE AND HIS PEOPLE. 



Semalembue paid us a visit soon after our arrival, and said 

 that lie had often heard of me, and now that he had the pleasure 

 of seeing me, he feared that I should sleep the first night at his 

 village hungry. This was considered the handsome way of in- 

 troducing a present, for he then handed five or six baskets of 

 meal and maize, and an enormous one of ground-nuts. Next 

 morning he gave me about twenty baskets more of meal. I could 

 make but a poor return for his kindness, but he accepted my 

 apologies politely, saying that he knew there were no goods in 

 the country from which I had come, and, in professing great joy 

 at the words of peace I spoke, he said, " Now I shall cultivate 

 largely, in the hope of eating and sleeping in peace." It is no- 

 ticeable that all whom we have yet met eagerly caught up the 

 idea of living in peace as the probable effect of the Gospel. They 

 require no explanation of the existence of the Deity. Sekwebu 

 makes use of the term " Reza," and they appear to understand at 

 once. Like negroes in general, they have a strong tendency to 

 worship, and I heard that Semalembue gets a good deal of ivory 

 from the surrounding tribes on pretense of having some supernat- 

 ural power. He transmits this to some other chiefs on the Zam- 

 besi, and receives in return English cotton gqods which come from 

 Mozambique by Babisa traders. My men here began to sell their 

 beads and other ornaments for cotton cloth. Semalembue was ac- 

 companied by about forty people, all large men. They have much 

 wool on their heads, which is sometimes drawn all together up to 

 the crown, and tied there in a large tapering bunch. The fore- 

 head and round by the ears is shaven close to the base of this 

 tuft. Others draw out the hair on one side, and twist it into lit- 

 tle strings. The rest is taken over, and hangs above the ear, 

 which gives the appearance of having a cap cocked jauntily on the 

 side of the head. 



The mode of salutation is by clapping the hands. Various 

 parties of women came from the surrounding villages to see the 

 white man, but all seemed very much afraid. Their fear, which 

 I seldom could allay, made them, when addressed, clap their hands 

 with increasing vigor. Sekwebu was the only one of the Mako- 

 lolo who knew this part of the country ; and this was the region 

 which to his mind was best adapted for the residence of a tribe. 

 The natives generally have a good idea of the nature of the soil 

 and pasturage, and Sekwebu expatiated with great eloquence on 



