Chap. XVI. SEQUASHA. 327 



sessed cattle. The tsetse has taken possession of the country 

 since " the beeves were lifted." No one knows where these in- 

 sects breed ; at a certain season all disappear, and as suddenly- 

 come back, no one knows whence. The natives are such 

 close observers of nature, that their ignorance in this case 

 surprised us. A solitary hippopotamus had selected the little 

 bay in which we landed, and where the women drew water, 

 for his dwelling-place. Pretty little lizards, with light blue 

 and red tails, run among the rocks, catching flies and other 

 insects. These harmless — though to new-comers repulsive — 

 creatures sometimes perform good service to man, by eating 

 great numbers of the destructive white ants. 



At noon on the 24th October, we found Sequasha in a 

 village below the Kafue, with the main body of his people. He 

 said that 210 elephants had been killed during his trip; 

 many of his men being excellent hunters. The numbers 

 of animals we saw renders this possible. He reported that, 

 after reaching the Kafue, he went northwards into the country 

 of the Zulus, whose ancestors formerly migrated from the 

 south and set up a sort of Kepublican form of government. 

 Sequasha is the greatest Portuguese traveller we ever became 

 acquainted with, and he boasts that he is able to speak a 

 dozen different dialects ; yet, unfortunately, he can give but 

 a very meagre account of the countries and people he has 

 seen, and his statements are not very much to be relied 

 on. But considering the influences among which he has 

 been reared, and the want of the means of education at 

 Tette, it is a wonder that he possesses the good traits that he 

 sometimes exhibits. Among his wares were several cheap 

 American clocks; a useless investment rather, for a part of 

 Africa where no one cares for the artificial measurement of 

 time. These clocks got him into trouble among the Banyai : 

 he set them all agoing in the presence of a Chief, who became 



