216 SUPERSTITIOUS CUSTOMS. Chap. XVII 



work ; for though the river itself was only eighty yards wide, 

 the whole valley was flooded, and we were obliged to paddle 

 more than half a mile to get free of the water. A fire was lit 

 to warm old Quendende, and enable him to dry his tobacco- 

 leaves. The freshly gathered leaves are spread close to the 

 fire until they are quite dry and crisp, when they are 

 pounded with a small pestle, and used as snuff. As we sat by 

 the fire the ambassadors communicated their thoughts freely 

 respecting the customs of their race. When a chief dies, a 

 number of his servants are slaughtered to form his company 

 in the other world, a custom which the Barotse also follow. 

 Quendende said that if he were present on these occasions he 

 should hide his people, so that they might not be slaughtered. 

 We were assured that, if the late Matiamvo took a fancy to 

 anything, such, for instance, as my watch-chain, which was of 

 silver wire, he would order a whole village to be brought up 

 to buy it. When a slave-trader visited him he took possession 

 of all his goods ; he then sent out a party to some considerable 

 village, and, having killed the head-man, paid for the goods 

 by selling the inhabitants. On my asking if Matiamvo did not 

 know himself to be a man, and that he would be judged by a 

 Lord who is no respecter of persons, the ambassador replied, 

 " We do not go up to God, as you do ; we are put into the 

 ground." I could not ascertain that these people, even 

 though they believe in the continued existence of the spirit 

 after death, had any notion of heaven ; they appear to imagine 

 the souls to be always near the place of sepulture. 



After crossing the river Lotembwa we travelled about eight 

 (49) miles, and came to Katema's straggling town, or rather col- 

 lection of villages (lat. 11° 35' 49" S., long. 22° 27' E.). We 

 were led out about half a mile from the houses, to make for 

 ourselves the best lodging we could of the trees and grass, 

 while Intemese was subjected to the usual examination as to 

 our conduct and professions. Katema soon afterwards sent a 

 handsome present of food. Nex+ morning we had a formal 

 presentation, and found Katema seated on a sort of throne, 

 with about three hundred men on the ground, and thirty 

 women, said to be his wives, close behind him, the main body 

 of the people being seated in a semicircle at a distance oi 

 fifty yards. Each party had its own head-man stationed at a 



