60 CAREER OF SEBITUANE. Chap. IV. 



Many of his cattle "burst away from him in the frenzy cf thirst. 

 He stocked himself again among the Batletli, on Lake 

 Kumadau, whose herds were of the large-horned species 

 of cattle.* After some further adventures he moved down 

 the Leeambye among the Bashubia and Batoka. The Ratoka 

 lived on large islands in the Leeambye, or Zambesi ; and 

 being perfectly secure in their fastnesses, often allured fugi- 

 tive or wandering tribes on to uninhabited islets on pretence 

 of ferrying them across, and there left them to perish. This 

 was done for the sake of their goods. Sebituane, with his 

 usual foresight, requested the island chief to take his seat in 

 the canoe with him, and there our wily adventurer detained him 

 till all the people and cattle were safely landed. The whole 

 Batoka country was then densely peopled, and they had a 

 curious taste for ornamenting their villages with the skulls of 

 strangers. When Sebituane appeared near the great falls, 

 an immense army collected to make trophies of the heads of 

 the Makololo skulls. Instead of succeeding, they gave the 

 strangers a good excuse for fighting, and they captured so many 

 cattle that they were incapable of taking note of the sheep and 

 goats. He overran all the high lands towards the river Kafiie, 

 and settled in a pastoral country, of gently undulating plains, 

 covered with short grass and but little forest. The Makololc 

 have never lost their love for this fine healthy region. 



But the Matebele, a CafTre or Zulu tribe, under Mosilikatse, 

 crossed the Zambesi ; and, attacking Sebituane in this choice 

 spot, captured his cattle and women. Rallying his men, he 

 followed and recaptured the whole. A fresh attack was 

 repulsed by him, and he thought of going further down the 

 Zambesi to the country of the whites. He had an idea that if 

 he had a cannon he might live in peace. A prophet induced 

 him to turn his face again to the westward. This man, by 

 name Tlapane, was called a " senoga " — one wno holds inter- 

 course with the gods. He probably had a touch of insanity, 

 for ho was in the habit of retiring, no one knew whither, 



* We found the Batauaua in possession of this breed when we discovered Lake 

 Ngami. One of these horns, brought to England by Major Vardon, will hold no 

 less than twenty-one imperial pints of water ; and a pair, brought by Mr. Oswell, 

 and now in the possession of Colonel Steele, measures from tip to tip eight and a 

 half feet. 



