Chap. XL THE BATOKA MEN OF PEACE. 229 



of a private Batoka, to escape. This act seems to have made 

 an indelible impression on Sekomi's heart, for, though other- 

 wise callous, he still never fails to inquire after the welfare 

 of his benefactor. 



Sebetuane, with his wonted ability, outwitted the treache- 

 rous Batoka, by insisting in the politest manner on their Chief 

 remaining at his own side until the people and cattle were 

 all carried safe across ; the Chief was then handsomely 

 rewarded, both with cattle and brass rings off Sebetuane's 

 own wives. No sooner were the Makololo, then called 

 Basuto, safely over, than they were confronted by the 

 whole Batoka nation; and to this day the Makololo point 

 with pride to the spot on the Lekone, near to which they 

 were encamped, where Sebetuane, with a mere handful of 

 warriors in comparison to the vast horde that surrounded 

 him, stood waiting the onslaught, the warriors in one 

 small body, the women and children guarding the cattle 

 behind them. The Batoka, of course, melted away before 

 those, who had been made veterans by years of conti- 

 nual fighting, and Sebetuane always justified his subse- 

 quent conquests in that country by alleging that the 

 Batoka had come out to fight with a man fleeing for his 

 ]ife, who had never done them any wrong. They seem 

 never to have been a warlike race ; passing through their 

 country, we once observed a large stone cairn, and our guide 

 favoured us with the following account of it : — " Once upon 

 a time, our forefathers were going to fight another tribe, and 

 here they halted and sat down. After a long consultation, 

 they came to the unanimous conclusion, that instead of pro- 

 ceeding to fight and kill then neighbours, and perhaps be 

 killed themselves, it would be more like men to raise this 

 heap of stones, as their protest against the wrong the other 



