86 CAREER OF SEBITUANE. Chap. IV. 



a pastoral tribe like his, so he moved down that river among the 

 Bashubia and Batoka, who wore then living in all their glory. 

 His narrative resembled closely the ' Commentaries of Csesar,' and 

 the history of the British in India. He was always forced to 

 attack the different tribes, and to this day his men justify every 

 step he took, as perfectly just and right. The Batoka lived on 

 large islands in the Leeambye, or Zambesi ; and, feeling perfectly 

 secure in their fastnesses, often allured fugitive or wandering 

 tribes on to uninhabited islets on pretence of ferrying them across, 

 and there left them to perish for the sake of their goods. Sek- 

 omi, the clnef of the Bamangwato, was, when a child, in danger 

 of meeting this fate ; but a man still living had compassion on 

 him, and enabled his mother to escape with him by night. The 

 river is so large, that the sharpest eye cannot tell the difference 

 between an island and the bend of the opposite bank ; but Se- 

 bituane, with Iris usual foresight, requested the island chief who 

 ferried lrini across to take Iris seat in the canoe with him, and 

 detained him by his side till all Iris people and cattle were safely 

 landed. The whole Batoka country was then densely peopled, 

 and they had a' curious taste for ornamenting their villages with 

 the skulls of strangers. When Sebituane appeared near the great 

 falls, an immense army collected to make trophies of the Mako- 

 lolo skulls ; but instead of succeeding in tins they gave liim a good 

 excuse for conquering them, and capturing so many cattle that 

 his people were quite incapable of taking any note of the sheep 

 and goats. He overran all the high lands towards the Kafue, and 

 settled in what is called a pastoral country, of gently undulating 

 plains, covered with short grass and but little forest. The Mako- 

 lolo have never lost then* love for this fine healthy region. 



But the Matebele, a Caffre or Zulu tribe, under Mosilikatse, 

 crossed the Zambesi ; and, attacking Sebituane in this choice spot, 

 captured his cattle and women. Rallying lu's men, he followed 

 and recaptured the whole. A fresh attack was also repulsed, and 

 Sebituane thought of going further down the Zambesi, to the 

 country of the white men. He had an idea, whence imbibed I 

 never could learn, that if he had a cannon he might live in peace. 

 He had led a life of war, yet no one apparently desired peace 

 more than he did. A prophet induced him to turn Ins face again 

 to the westward. This man, by name Tlapane, was called a 



