130 PRESENTS TO SEKELETU. Cha*. IX. 



inexpediency of combining the professions of missionary and 

 merchant remained unchanged, I was glad of the proposal of 

 Mr. Eutherford, of Cape Town, to intrust a sum of money to 

 Fleming, the West-Indian man of colour, for the purpose of 

 developing a trade with the Makololo. The goods which he 

 bought were ill adapted to the natives, but, though it was his 

 first attempt at trading, and the distance he had to travel 

 made the expenses enormous, he was not a loser by the trip. 

 Other traders followed, who demanded 90 lbs. of ivory for a 

 (26) musket ; and as the Makololo knew nothing of steelyards, and 

 supposed that the contrivance was meant to cheat them, they 

 offered instead to exchange one bull and one cow elephant's 

 tusk for each gun. These two tusks on an an average would 

 contain 70 lbs. of ivory, which sells at the Cape for os. per 

 pound, while the total value of the secondhand musket was 

 not more than 10s. Success in commerce is as much depen- 

 dent on an acquaintance with the language as success in 

 travelling. Not understanding each other's talk, no bargain 

 was struck ; and when I passed the spot some time afterwards, 

 I found that the whole of the ivory had been destroyed by a 

 tire which broke out in the village when all the people were 

 absent. 



I had brought with me as presents an improved description 

 of goats, fowls, and a pair of cats. As the Makololo are fond 

 of improving the breed of their domestic animals, they were 

 much pleased with my selection. A superior bull, which was 

 designed as a gift to Sekeletu, I was compelled to leave 

 behind on account of its becoming footsore. I had brought it, 

 in performance of a promise made to Sebituane before he 

 died, and Sekeletu was much gratified by my attempt to keep 

 my word to his father. 



They are all remarkably fond of their cattle. They have 

 iwo breeds. One called the Batoka, because captured from 

 that tribe, is of diminutive size, but very beautiful, and closely 

 resembles the short-horns of our own country. They are very 

 tame, and remarkably playful. They may be seen lying on 

 their sides by the fires in the evening; and when they go 

 forth to their pasture, the herdsman often precedes them, and 

 has only to commence capering to set them all gambolling. 

 The meat is superior to that of the much larger Barotse breed. 



