480 KATEMA'S HOSPITALITY AND DIGNITY. Chap. XXIV. 



my men became ill, but still could walk, others parted Ins luggage 

 among tliem ; yet we had often to stop one day a-week, besides 

 Sundays, simply for the sake of rest. The latitude of Lake Dilolo 

 is 11° 32' 1" S., long. 22° 27' E. 



June l'ith. — We reached the collection of straggling villages 

 over which Katema rules, and were thankful to see old familiar 

 faces again. Shakatwala performed the part of a chief, by bring- 

 ing forth abundant supplies of food in his master's name. He 

 informed us that Katema too, was out, hunting skins for Matiamvo. 



In different parts of this country, we remarked that when old 

 friends were inquired for, the reply was, " Ba hola — they are get- 

 ting better ;" or if the people of a village were inquired for, the 

 answer was, " They are recovering," as if sickness was quite a com- 

 mon thing. Indeed, many with whom we had made acquaintance 

 in going north, we now found were in then graves. On the 15th, 

 Katema came home from Ins hunting, having heard of our arrival. 

 He desired me to rest myself and eat abundantly, for, being a great 

 man, I must feel tired ; and he took good care to give the means 

 of doing so. All the people in these parts are extremely kind 

 and liberal with their food, and Katema was not behindhand. 

 When he visited our encampment, I presented him with a cloak 

 of red baize, ornamented with gold tinsel, which cost thirty shillings, 

 according to the promise I had made in going to Loanda ; also a 

 cotton robe, both large and small beads, an iron spoon, and a tin 

 pannikin containing a quarter of a pound of powder. He seemed 

 greatly pleased with the liberality shown, and assured me that 

 the way was mine, and that no one should molest me hi it, if he 

 could help it. We were informed by Shakatwala that the chief 

 never used any part of a present, before making an offer of it to 

 his mother, or the departed spirit to whom he prayed. Katema 

 asked if I could not make a dress for liim like the one I wore, so 

 that he might appear as a white man when any stranger visited 

 him. One of the councillors, imagining that he ought to second 

 this by begging, Katema checked him by saying, " Whatever 

 strangers give, be it little or much, I always receive it with thank- 

 fulness, and never trouble them for more." On departing, he 

 mounted on the shoulders of his spokesman, as the most dignified 

 mode of retiring. The spokesman being a slender man, and the 

 clrief six feet high, and stout in proportion, there would have been 



