154 TOWN OF MA-SEKELETU. Chap. XII. 



/egs of an animal slaughtered by themselves. They professed 

 the greatest detestation of the Portuguese, " because they eat 

 pigs;" and disliked the English, " because they thrash them 

 for selling slaves." I ventured to tell them that I agreed with 

 my countrymen that it was better to let the young grow up 

 and comfort their mothers when they became old, than to 

 carry them away and sell them across the sea. This form of 

 the traffic they never attempt to justify ; " they want them 

 only to cultivate the land, and take care of them as their 

 children." It is the same old story, justifying a monstrous 

 wrong on pretence that it is a benefit to the victims. 



These Arabs, or Moors, could read and write their own 

 language ; and, when speaking about our Saviour, I admired 

 the boldness with which they informed me " that Christ was 

 a very good prophet, but Mahomet was far greater." Their 

 loathing of pork may have some foundation in their nature; 

 for I have known Bechuanas, who fed on it without scruple, 

 vomit it up again. The Bechuanas south of the lake have a 

 prejudice against eating fish, and especially anything like a 

 snake, which may arise from the remnants of serpent-worship 

 floating in their minds, for they sometimes render a sort of 

 obeisance to serpents by clapping their hands to them, and 

 refusing to destroy them. In the case of the hog they are 

 conscious of no superstitious feeling. 



Having parted with our Arab friends, we proceeded down 

 the Marile till we re-entered the Leeambye. Sekeletu had 

 gone to the town of Ma-Sekeletu (mother of Sekeletu) and left 

 us instructions to follow him. Thither we went. As soon as 

 I arrived he presented me with a pot of boiled meat, while 

 his mother handed me a large jar of butter, of which they 

 make great quantities for the purpose of anointing their 

 bodies. He had himself felt the benefit of my putting aside 

 meat after a meal, and had now in turn ordered some to be 

 kept for me. The Makololo usage is to devour every particle 

 of an ox at a single sitting. Henceforth Sekeletu saved for 

 me and I for him ; and when some of the sticklers for cus- 

 tom grumbled, I advised them to eat like men, and not like 

 vultures. 



As this was the first visit which Sekeletu had paid to this 



