the slave-trade;. Si 



1850 ; and as they had a number of old Portuguese guns, 

 marked " Legitimo de Braga," which Sebituane thought 

 would be excellent in any future invasion of Matebele, 

 he offered to purchase them with cattle or ivory, but the 

 Mambari refused everything except boys about fourteen 

 years of age. The Makololo declare they never heard 

 of people being bought and sold till then, and disliked it, 

 but the desire to possess the guns prevailed, and eight 

 old guns were exchanged for as many boys ; these were 

 not their own children, but captives of the black races 

 they had conquered. I have never known in Africa an 

 instance of a parent selling his own offspring. The 

 Makololo were afterwards incited to make a foray against 

 some tribes to the eastward ; the Mambari bargaining 

 to use their guns in the attack for the captives they 

 might take, and the Makololo were to have all the cattle. 

 They went off with at least two hundred slaves that year. 

 During this foray the Makololo met some Arabs from 

 Zanzibar, who presented them with three English muskets, 

 and in return received about thirty of their captives. 



In talking with my companion over these matters, 

 the idea was suggested that, if the slave-market were 

 supplied with articles of European manufacture by legiti- 

 mate commerce, the trade in slaves would become im- 

 possible. It seemed more feasible to give the goods, 

 for which the people now part with their servants, in 

 exchange for ivory and other products of the country, 

 and thus prevent the trade at the beginning, than try to 

 put a stop to it at any of the subsequent steps. This 

 could only be effected by estabhshing a highway from 

 the coast into the centre of the country. 



As there was no hope of the Boers allowing the peace- 

 able instruction of the natives at Kolobeng, I at once 

 resolved to save my family from exposure to this un- 

 healthy region by sending them to England, and to 

 return alone, with a view to exploring the country in 

 search of a healthy district that might prove a centre 

 of civilization, and open up the interior by a path to 

 either the east or west coast. This resolution led me 

 down to the Cape in April, 1852, being the first time 

 during eleven years that I had visited the scenes of civiliza- 

 tion. Our route to Cape Town led us to pass through 

 the centre of the colony during the twentieth month of 

 a Caffre war ; and if those who periodically pay enormous 



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