Chap. XIV. SEKELETU'S ESTEEM FOR DE. KIKE. 209 



November, it was impossible for us to remain in Sesheke more 

 than one month. Before our departure, the Chief and his 

 principal men expressed in a formal manner their great 

 desire to have English people settled on the Batoka high- 

 lands. At one time he proposed to go as far as Phori, in 

 order to select a place of residence; but as he afterwards 

 saw reasons for remaining where he was, till his cure was 

 completed, he gave orders to those sent with us, in the event 

 of our getting, on our return, past the rapids near Tette, not 

 to bring us to Sesheke, but to send forward a messenger, 

 and he with the whole tribe would come to us. Dr. Kirk 

 being of the same age, Sekeletu was particularly anxious that 

 he should come and live with him. He said he would cut off 

 a section of the country for the special use of the English ; and 

 on being told that in all probability their descendants would 

 cause disturbance in his country, he replied, "These would 

 be only domestic feuds, and of no importance." The great 

 extent of uncultivated land on the cool and now unpeopled 

 highlands, has but to be seen, to convince the spectator 

 how much room there is, and to spare, for a vastly greater 

 population than ever, in our day, can be congregated there. 



The agricultural tribes are more peaceful than the pastoral. 

 The Makololo are both pastoral and agricultural, and their 

 love for lifting cattle often leads them to great distances. 

 This marauding, if sanctioned by the Chief, is not considered 

 dishonest or dishonourable, for they laugh if they are charged 

 with cattle-stealing, and assert that they have lifted them 

 only. As in the tribes nearer the Coast slave-trading is the 

 gigantic evil, which must be grappled with, if any good is 

 to be done ; so here it was necessary frequently, yet in a 

 kindly way, to point out the evils of marauding. A wagon 

 with Mr. Helmore's name on it being in the Chief's possession, 

 a doubt was expressed whether the person said to have given 



