100 • LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.R 



by some animal. In addition to the usual grains grown by the natives, tliey 

 raise large numbers of a kind of earth-nut called ' motuohatsi ' (man of tho 

 earth). It is sweet when roasted in the ashes and also when boiled. It has 

 grown well at Kuruman, and has been distributed in the colony of the Cape. 

 The people of the Barotse tribe cultivate the sugar-cane and sweet potato. 

 Wheat, maize, peach, and apricot stones, and other garden seeds, have been 

 left with the Makololo, as they willingly promised to make and sow a garden 

 for our use. As the moisture from the river seems to permeate the soil, it is 

 probable that some of these seeds will vegetate and increase the food of the 

 inhabitants ; but of this, their stout appearance seemed to indicate no want. 



"The people inhabiting these regions are a black race, totally distinct from 

 the Bechuanas. The people of Sebituane are called Makololo, and the black 

 race which we found inhabiting the numerous islands is divided into several 

 tribes, which pass by different names; as the Barotse, Banyeti, Batoko, 

 Bashukulompo, &c. The Makololo are a sort of omnium gatherum, of different 

 Bechuana tribes, all speaking Sichuana. The providence of God has prepared 

 the way for us, for wherever we went we found the Sichuana, into which the 

 Bible is nearly all translated, in common use. It is the court language. 

 There are besides the different dialects of the black tribes, viz., those of the 

 Barotse, Batoka, &c. ; and though the radicals bear some resemblance to the 

 Sichuana, and are of the same family, none of the Bechuana could under- 

 stand them when spoken. The Barotse are very ingenious in basket making 

 and wood-work generally. The Banyeti are excellent smiths, making ox and 

 sheep bells, spears, knives, needles, and hoes of superior workmanship ; iron 

 abounds in their country, and of excellent quality ; they extract it from the 

 ore, and they are famed as canoe builders; abundance of fine, light, but strong 

 wood called molompi, enables them to excel in this branch of industry ; other 

 tribes are famed for their skill in pottery ; their country yields abundance of 

 native corn, &c. ; and though their upper extremities and chests are largely 

 developed, they seem never to have been much addicted to wars. They seem 

 always to have trusted to the defences which their deep reedy rivers afford. 

 Their numbers are very large. In constructing the rough sketch of the 

 country given in the map, we particularly requested of the different natives 

 employed, that they would only mention the names of the large towns. As scores 

 of them were employed by Mr. Oswell and myself, and they generally agreed 

 in their drawings and accounts of the towns, &c, we consider what we have 

 put down, to be an approximation to the truth. The existence of the large 

 towns indicated, derives additional confirmation from the fact that in our ride 

 to Sesheke we saw several considerable villages containing 500 or 600 inhabi- 

 tants each, and these were not enumerated by our informants as being too 

 small to mention. 



European manufactures, in considerable quantities, find their way in from 



