290 MOSHOBOTWANE AND HIS MEN. Chap. XIV. 



nistered among the Makololo. A headman took some beads 

 and a blanket from one of his men who had been with us ; 

 the matter was brought before the Chief, and he immediately 

 ordered the goods to be restored, and decreed, moreover, that 

 no headman should take the property of the men who had 

 returned. In theory, all the goods brought back belonged to 

 the Chief ; the men laid them at his feet, and made a formal 

 offer of them all ; he looked at the articles, and told the men 

 to keep them. This is almost invariably the case. Tuba 

 Mokoro, however, fearing lest Sekeletu might take a fancy 

 to some of his best goods, exhibited only a few of his old and 

 least valuable acquisitions. Masakasa had little to show ; he 

 had committed some breach of native law in one of the 

 villages on the way, and paid a heavy fine rather than have 

 the matter brought to the Doctor's ears. Each carrier is 

 entitled to a portion of the goods in his bundle, though pur- 

 chased by the Chief's ivory, and they never hesitate to claim 

 their rights ; but no wages can be demanded from the Chief, 

 if he fails to respond to the first application. 



Our men, accustomed to our ways, thought that the Eng- 

 lish system of paying a man for his labour was the only 

 correct one, and some even said it would be better to live 

 under a Government where life and labour were more secure 

 and valuable than here. While with us, they always conducted 

 themselves with propriety during Divine service, and not only 

 maintained decorum themselves, but insisted on other natives 

 who might be present doing the same. When Moshobotwane, 

 the Batoka chief, came on one occasion with a number of his 

 men, they listened in silence to the reading of the Bible in 

 the Makololo tongue ; but, as soon as we all knelt down to 

 pray, they commenced a vigorous clapping of hands, their 

 mode of asking a favour. Our indignant Makololo soon 

 silenced their noisy accompaniment, and looked with great 



