Chap. XIV. BELIEF IN "MEDICINES." 295 



Like other Africans, the Makololo have great faith in the 

 power of medicine ; they believe that there is an especial 

 medicine for every ill that flesh is hen to. Mamire is anxious 

 to have children; he has six wives, and only one boy, and 

 he begs earnestly for " child medicine." The mother of 

 Sekeletu came from the Barotse Valley to see her son. 

 Thinks she has lost flesh since Dr. Livingstone was here 

 before, and asks for "the medicine of fatness." The Makololo 

 consider plumpness an essential part of beauty in women, 

 but the extreme stoutness, mentioned by Captain Speke, in 

 the north, would be considered hideous here, for the men 

 have been overheard speaking of a lady whom we call " in- 

 clined to embonpoint" as " fat unto ugliness." 



Two packages from the Kuruman, containing letters and 

 newspapers, reached Linyanti previous to our arrival, and 

 Sekeletu, not knowing when we were coming, left them there ; 

 but now at once sent a messenger for them. This man 

 returned on the seventh day, having travelled 240 geographi- 

 cal miles. One of the packages was too heavy for him, and he 

 left it behind. As the Doctor wished to get some more medi- 

 cine and papers out of the wagon left at Linyanti in 1853, 

 he decided upon going thither himself. The Chief gave him 

 his own horse, now about twelve years old, and some men. 

 He found everything in his wagon as safe as when he left it 

 seven years before. The headmen, Mosale and Pekonyane, 

 received him cordially, and lamented that they had so little 

 to offer him. Oh! had he only arrived the year previous, 

 when there was abundance of milk and corn and beer. 



Very early the next morning the old town-crier, Ma-Pulen- 

 yane, of his own accord made a public proclamation, which, 

 in the perfect stillness of the town long before dawn was 

 striking: "I have dreamed! I have dreamed! I have dreamed! 

 Thou Mosale and thou Pekonyane, my lords, be not faint- 



