CAREER OP SEBITUANE. 75 



his men justify every step he took, as perfectly just and 

 right. The Batoka lived on large islands in the Leeambye, 

 or Zambesi ; and, feeling perfectly secure in their fast- 

 nesses, often allured fugitive or wandering tribes on to 

 iininhabited islets on pretence of ferrying them across, 

 and there left them to perish for the sake of their goods. 

 Sekomi, the chief of the Bamangwato, was, when a child, 

 in danger of meeting this fate ; but a man still living had 

 compassion on him., and enabled his mother to escape 

 with him by night. The river is so large, that the 

 sharpest eye cannot tell the difference between an island 

 and the bend of the opposite bank ; but Sebituane, with 

 his usual foresight, requested the island chief who ferried 

 him across to take his seat in the canoe with him, and 

 detained him by his side till all his people and cattle were 

 safely landed. The whole Batoka country was then 

 densely peopled, and they had a curious taste for orna- 

 menting their villages with the skulls of strangers. When 

 •Sebituane appeared near the great falls, an immense army 

 collected to make trophies of the Makololo skulls ; but 

 instead of succeeding in this they gave him a good excuse 

 for conquering them, and capturing so many cattle that 

 his people were quite incapable of taking any note of the 

 sheep and goats. He overran all the high lands towards 

 the Kafiie, and settled in what is called a pastoral country, 

 of gently undulating plains, covered with short grass and 

 but little forest. The Makololo have never lost their love 

 for this fine healthy region. 



But the Matebele, a CafTre or Zulu tribe, under Mosili- 

 katse, crossed the Zambesi ; and, attacking Sebituane 

 in this choice spot, captured his cattle and women. 

 Rallying his men, he followed and recaptured the whole. 

 A fresh attack was also repulsed, and Sebituane thought 

 of going further down the Zambesi, to the country of the 

 white men. He had an idea, whence imbibed I never 

 could learn, that if he had a cannon he might live in peace. 

 He had led a life of war, yet no one apparently desired 

 peace more than he did. A prophet induced him to turn 

 his face again to the westward. This man, by name 

 Tlapdne, was called a " senoga " — one who holds inter- 

 course with the gods. He probably had a touch of in- 

 insanity, for he was in the habit of retiring no one knew 

 whither, but perhaps into some cave, to remain in a 

 hypnotic or mesmeric state until the moon was full. 



