Chap. IT. SECTIELE'S POSITION AS CHIEF. 45 



savages, lie became greatly excited, and called one of his followers 

 to answer me. He threatened to attack any tribe that might 

 receive a native teacher, yet he promised to use his influence to 

 prevent those under him from throwing obstacles in our way. I 

 could perceive plainly that nothing more could be done in that 

 direction, so I commenced collecting all the hrformation I could 

 about the desert, with the intention of crossing it if possible. 

 Sekomi, the chief of the Bamangwato, was acquainted with a 

 route which he kept carefully to himself, because the Lake 

 country abounded in ivory, and he chew large quantities thence 

 periodically at but small cost to himself. 



Sechele, who valued highly everything European, and was 

 always fully alive to his own interest, was naturally anxious to 

 get a share of that inviting field. He was most anxious to visit 

 Sebituane too, partly, perhaps, from a wish to show off his new 

 acquirements, but chiefly, I believe, from having very exalted 

 ideas of the benefits he would derive from the liberality of that 

 renowned chieftain. In age and family Sechele is the elder and 

 superior of Sekomi ; for when the original tribe broke up into 

 Bamangwato, Bangwaketse, and Bakwains, the Bakwains retained 

 the hereditary chieftainship ; so then chief, Sechele, possesses 

 certain advantages over Sekomi, the chief of the Bamangwato. 

 If the two were travelling or hunting together, Sechele would 

 take, by right, the heads of the game shot by Sekomi. 



There are several vestiges besides of very ancient partitions 

 and lordships of tribes. The elder brother of Sechele's father, 

 becoming blind, gave over the chieftainship to Sechele's father. 

 The descendants of this man pay no tribute to Sechele, though 

 he is the actual ruler, and superior to the head of that family ; 

 and Sechele, while in every other respect supreme, calls him 

 Kosi or Chief. The other tribes will not begin to eat the early 

 pumpkins of a new crop until they hear that the Bahurutse have 

 " bitten it," and there is a public ceremony on the occasion — the 

 son of the chief being the first to taste of the new harvest. 



Sechele, by my advice, sent men to Sekomi, asking leave for 

 me to pass along his path, accompanying the request with the 

 present of an ox. Sekomi's mother, who possesses great influence 

 over him, refused permission, because she had not been propi- 

 tiated. This produced a fresh message ; and the most honourable 



