Cnxr. XXIV. THE " KASENDI." 323 



being forced away each morning from the pleasant pasturage 

 on which he had fed. I wished to give the climax to his 

 usefulness by having him slaughtered at once, but my men 

 had some compunction on this head, and therefore we carried 

 him to end his days in peace at Naliele. 



Having despatched a message to our old friend Manenko, 

 we halted for a day opposite her village, which was about 

 fifteen miles from the river. She was unable to come so far 

 herself, but her husband was instantly despatched to meet us, 

 with liberal presents of food. Sambanza gave us a detailed 

 account of the political affairs of the country, and next morn- 

 ing performed the ceremony called " Kasendi,"" for cementing 

 our friendship. It is accomplished thus : — The hands of the 

 parties are joined, and small incisions are made on them, as 

 well as on the pit of the stomach and on the right cheek and 

 forehead of each. A small quantity of blood is taken off from 

 these points by means of a stalk of grass, and that of each 

 person is put into a separate pot of beer ; each then drinks 

 the other's blood, and they are supposed to become perpetual 

 friends or relations. During the drinking of the beer some 

 of the party beat the ground with short clubs, and utter sen- 

 tences by way of ratifying the treaty. The men belonging 

 to each then finish the beer. The principals in the perform- 

 ance of " Kasendi y ' are henceforth considered blood-relations, 

 and are bound to disclose to each other any impending evil. 

 In the present case Pitsane and Sambanza were the parties 

 engaged : if then Sekeletu should resolve to attack the Balonda, 

 Pitsane would be under an obligation to give Sambanza due 

 warning of it, and vice versa. They now presented each 

 other with the most valuable presents they had to bestow. 

 Sambanza walked off with Pitsane's suit of green-baize faced 

 with red, which had been made in Loanda; and Pitsane, 

 besides abundant supplies of food, obtained two shells similar 

 to the one I had received from Shinte. 



On one occasion I became blood-relation to a young woman 

 by accident. She wished me to remove a tumour which had 

 grown between the bones of the fore-arm, and which had 

 gradually enlarged until she became unable to work. AVhile 

 performing the operation, one of the small arteries squirted 

 some blood into my eye. As I was wiping the blood out of it 



