186 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



leave a letter, which he could send to the Kuruman, which would tell Mamele, 

 as he called Mrs. Moffat, that it was entirely my own fault. 



" Two young girls, about ten years of age, daughters of Moselekatse, of 

 different mothers, came from a neighbouring town to see him, or rather me. 

 He kissed each of them on the brow and then on each cheek. I observed 

 others kiss them on each cheek, the brow, and chin. This seems to be the 

 mode of Matabele kissing ; it is done by men, too, when they meet after a 

 long absence. The girls seemed the very picture of health ; though they 

 drank beer daily, their countenances exhibited great childish sweetness, while 

 their bodies, well washed and anointed with oil, presented the most perfect 

 female symmetry ; but the women in general are no beauties. 



" Moselekatse said, that as he had sent men to inquire respecting the 



road, and as they would go till they could learn something about Livingstone, 



he would wish me to defer my journey till they had returned. Supposing 



this to be a plan, like others, to prolong my stay, I could not agree, especially 



as the hot weather would soon commence, and the rainy season in the month 



of October, which would render travelling in a country like this next to 



impossible. He showed me a number of elephants' tusks, which he said he 



intended to present to me as a token of the gratitude he felt for the kindness 



he had received from me since he first knew me. I replied, that though I 



could fully appreciate his kind intentions, I felt I could not accept of anything 



of the kind till I should have accomplished my purpose in getting 



Livingstone's goods, &c, conveyed to him, and, if it were possible, seeing 



him myself. I added, that if he aided me in this undertaking, I should 



esteem his help more valuable than his present, and that I should be more 



ready to make him a present than to receive one, and that I should return to 



the Kuruman rich without a single tusk. These remarks made him look 



unusually grave, and, after a pause, he said, ' Verily you love Livingstone, 



and you love me too ;' and, taking me by the hand, said, ' You shall go.' I 



snapped my fingers in Matabelian fashion, and thanked him with all my 



heart. 



" In the morning, when about to start in search of Livingstone, Moselekatse 

 got into my waggon, followed by some parcels of presents which he had 

 received from one and another, and which were deposited within. He sat down 

 very composedly, and requested that the waggons might start. I supposed 

 he was intending to go only to the next town, as he was followed by most of 

 the men, some of them rather too advanced in years to proceed far. Bidding 

 adieu to my kind-hearted fellow-traveller — who would have been happy to 

 accompany me, but, being in partnership with Mr. Chapman, he felt it his duty 

 to remain a while longer — away we went, with about 100 men and nearly 

 half that number of dogs, large and small. Passing the first town without 

 halting-, we came to a pass between two hills, commanding a beautiful and 



