Chap. XVII. PRESENTATION TO KATEMA. 319 



was a man, and would be judged, in company with those he 

 destroyed, by a Lord who is no respecter of persons ? the am- 

 bassador replied, " We do not go up to God, as you do ; we are 

 put into the ground." I could not ascertain that even those who 

 have such a distinct perception of the continued existence of de- 

 parted spirits, had any notion of heaven ; they appear to imagine 

 the souls to be always near the place of sepulture. 



After crossing the river Lotembwa we travelled about eight 

 miles, and came toKatenia's straggling town (lat. 11° 35' 49" S., 

 long. 22° 27' E.). It is more a collection of villages than a town. 

 We were led out about half a mile from the houses, that we might 

 make for ourselves the best lodging we could of the trees and 

 grass, while Intemese was taken to Katema to undergo the usual 

 process of pumping, as to our past conduct and professions. Ka- 

 tema soon afterwards sent a handsome present of food. 



Next morning we had a formal presentation, and found Katema 

 seated on a sort of tin-one, with about three hundred men on the 

 ground around, and thirty women, who were said to be his wives, 

 close behind him. The main body of the people were seated in 

 a semicircle, at a distance of fifty yards. Each party had its 

 own head man stationed at a little distance in front, and, when 

 beckoned by the chief, came near him as councillors. Intemese 

 gave our history, and Katema placed sixteen large baskets of 

 meal before us, half a dozen fowls, and a dozen eggs, and ex- 

 pressed regret that we had slept hungry — he did not like any 

 stranger to suffer want in his town ; and added, " Go home, and 

 cook and eat, and you will then be in a fit state to speak to me, 

 at an audience I will give you to-morrow." He was busily en- 

 gaged in hearing the statements of a large body of fine young 

 men who had fled from Kangenke, chief of Lobale, on account 

 of his selling their relatives to the native Portuguese who fre- 

 quent his country. Katema is a tall man, about forty years of 

 age, and his head was ornamented with a helmet of beads and 

 feathers. He had on a snuff-brown coat, with a broad band of 

 tinsel down the arms, and carried in his hand a large tail made 

 of the caudal extremities of a number of gnus. This has charms 

 attached to it, and he continued waving it in front of himself, all 

 the time we were there. He seemed in good spirits, laughing 

 heartily several times. This is a good sign, for a man who shakes 



