Chap. XVII. INTERVIEW WITH KATEMA. 217 



little distance in front, who, when beckoned by the chief, 

 came near him as councillors. Intemese gave our history, 

 and Katema placed sixteen large baskets of meal before us, 

 half a dozen fowls, and a dozen eggs, and, expressing regret 

 that we had slept hungry, added, " Go home, and cook and 

 eat, and you will then be in a fit state to speak to me at an 

 audience I will give you to-morrow." Katema was a tall 

 man, about forty years of age, and was dressed in a snuff- 

 brown coat ornamented with a broad band of tinsel down the 

 arms ; on his head he wore a helmet of beads and feathers, 

 and in his hand he carried a large fan made of the caudal 

 extremities of a number of gnus, with charms attached to it, 

 which he continued waving in front of himself all the time we 

 were there. He seemed in good spirits, and laughed heartily 

 several times, which we thought a good sign, for a man who 

 shakes his sides with mirth is seldom difficult to deal with. 

 When we rose to take leave, all rose with us, as at Shinte's. 



Eeturning next morning, Katema addressed me thus : — " 1 

 am the great Moene (lord) Katema, the fellow of Matiamvo. 

 There is no one in this country equal to Matiamvo and me. I 

 and my forefathers have always lived here, and there is the 

 house in which my father lived. You found no human skulls 

 near the place where you are encamped. I never killed any 

 of the traders; they all come to me. I am the great Moene 

 Katema, of whom you have heard." He looked as if he had 

 fallen asleep tipsy, and dreamed of his greatness. On explain- 

 ing my objects, he promptly pointed out three men who would 

 be our guides, and explained that the N.W. path was the most 

 direct, but that the water at present standing on the plains 

 would reach up to the loins ; he would therefore send us by a 

 more northerly route, which no trader had yet traversed. 

 This was more suited to our wishes, for we never found a path 

 safe that had been trodden by slave-traders. 



We presented a few articles, which pleased him highly — a 

 small shawl, a razor, three bunches of beads, some buttons, 

 and a powder-horn. Apologising for the insignificance of the 

 gi f t, I asked what I could bring him from Loanda, saying that 

 it must be something small. He laughed heartily at the limi- 

 tation, and replied that " the smallest contribution would be 

 thankfully received; but ho should particularly like a coat, as 



