THE CHIEF SEKOML 73 



Water, being the scarcest and most valuable commodity in the country, 

 is carefully hidden, to preserve it from any wandering band who might take 

 it by force. Livingstone's method of conciliating them, and gaining their 

 good opinion, was by sitting down quietly and talking to them in a friendly 

 way until the precious fluid, which no amount of domineering or threatening 

 could have brought forth, was produced. 



The progress of the party was necessarily slow, as they could only march 

 in the mornings and evenings, and the wheels of the waggons in many places 

 sank deep in the loose sand. In some places the heat was so great that the 

 grass and twigs crumbled to dust in the hand. Hours and days of toilsome 

 journeyings were sometimes rewarded by the arrival at a spring, where the 

 abundant water fertilized a small tract around, on which the grass flourished 

 rank and green, affording a welcome meal to the horses and oxen after they 

 had slaked their burning thirst at the spring; although, often for many 

 hours the eyes of the party were not gladdened by the sight of such an oasis. 

 At times their courage almost died within them, and men and cattle staggered 

 on mechanically, silent, and all but broken in spirit. After being refreshed 

 the three travellers would enjoy a few hours' hunting at the game which was 

 always abundant at such places, and set out again on their journey with re- 

 newed vigour and high hopes as to the accomplishment of their purpose ; in 

 striking contrast to the despair and dread which had been their experience 

 only a few hours previous. 



Sekomi, a powerful chief, who had no wish to see the white men pass his 

 territory, and open out a market direct in ivory and skins with the tribes of 

 the interior, tried hard to dissuade the travellers from proceeding further on 

 their journey ; but the fearless men he had to deal with were not to be turned 

 aside from their purpose by any merely human obstacle. 



Sekomi was visited after this period by Mr. Gordon Cumming, who carried 

 a message and a present to him from Dr. Livingstone. The appearance of the 

 great chief did not impress Mr. Cumming favourably, he says : — "He appeared 

 to be about thirty years of age, and was of middle stature ; his distinguishing 

 feature was a wall-eye, which imparts to his countenance a roguish look that 

 does not belie the cunning and deceitful character of the man. As he came up 

 to the waggons, I met and shook hands with him, and wanted him to partake of 

 coffee with me. I could see that he was enchanted at my arrival. He talked 

 at a very rapid pace, and assumed an abrupt and rather dictatorial manner, 

 occasionally turning round and cracking jokes with his councillors and nobility. 

 He was very anxious to ascertain from Isaac the contents of the waggons, and 

 he said that he would buy everything I had brought, and that he would give 

 me a large bull elephant's tusk for each of my muskets." 



Mr. Cumming proved the chief's match at a bargain-making, and succeeded 

 in getting his own price for muskets, viz., three tusks for a single musket, 



L 



