Chap. VI. CHANGE OF NAMES. 149 



length one of his men replied, " He is not Sininyane now, he 

 is 3Ioshoshoma ;" and to this name he answered promptly. 

 The custom of exchanging names with men of other tribes, 

 is not uncommon ; and the exchangers regard themselves as 

 close comrades, owing special duties to each other ever after. 

 Should one by chance visit his comrade's town, he expects to 

 receive food, lodging, and other friendly offices from him. 

 While Charles Livingstone was at Kebrabasa during the 

 rainy season, a hungry, shivering native traveller was made 

 a comrade for life, not by exchanging names, but by some 

 food and a small piece of cloth. Eighteen months after, 

 while on our journey into the interior, a man came into 

 our camp, bringing a liberal present of rice, meal, beer, 

 and a fowl, and reminding us of what had been done for 

 him (which Charles Livingstone had entirely forgotten), said 

 that now seeing us travelling he " did not like us to sleep 

 hungry or thirsty." Several of our men, like some people 

 at home, dropped their own names and adopted those of 

 the Chiefs ; others were a little in advance of those who 

 take the surnames of higher people, for they took those of 

 the mountains, or cataracts we had seen on our travels. 

 We had a Chibisa, a Morambala, a Zomba, and a Kebrabasa, 

 and they were called by these names even after they had 

 returned to their own country. 



We had been so much hindered and annoyed by the " 31a 

 Robert," alias "Asthmatic," that the reader, though a tithe 

 is not mentioned, may think we have said more than enough. 

 The man, who had been the chief means of imposing this 

 wretched craft on us, had passed away, and with him all 

 bitterness from our hearts. We felt it to be a sad pity, 

 however, that any one, for unfair gain, should do, deeds 

 which cannot be spoken of after lie is gone. We had still 



