230 SEKOBINYANE'S MISGOVERNMENT. 



The rains began while we were at Naliele • this is 

 much later than usual, but, though the Barotse valley- 

 has been in need of rain, the people never lack abundance 

 of food. The showers are refreshing, but the air feels 

 hot and close ; the thermometer, however, in a cool hut, 

 stands only at 84 . The access of the external air to any 

 spot at once raises its temperature above 90 . A new 

 attack of fever here caused excessive languor ; but, as I 

 am already getting tired of quoting my fevers, and never 

 liked to read travels myself, where much was said about 

 the illnesses of the traveller, I shall henceforth endeavour 

 to say little about them. 



We here sent back the canoe of Sekeletu, and got the 

 loan of others from Mplolo. Bight riding oxen, and seven 

 for slaughter, were, according to the orders of that chief, 

 also furnished ; some were intended for our own use, and 

 others as presents to the chiefs of the Balonda. Mplolo 

 was particularly liberal in giving all that Sekeletu ordered, 

 though, as he feeds on the cattle he has in charge, he might 

 have felt it so much abstracted from his own perquisites. 

 Mplolo now acts the great man, and is followed every- 

 where by a crowd of toadies, who sing songs in disparage- 

 ment of Mpepe, of whom he always lived in fear. While 

 Mpepe was alive, he too was regaled with the same fulsome 

 adulation, and now they curse him. They are very foul- 

 tongued ; equals, on meeting, often greet each other with 

 a profusion of oaths, and end the volley with a laugh. 



In coming up the river to Naliele we met a party of 

 fugitive Barotse returning to their homes, and, as the 

 circumstance illustrates the social status of these subjects 

 of the Makololo, I introduce it here. The villagers in 

 question were the children, or serfs, if we may use the 

 term, of a young man of the same age and tribe as 

 Sekeletu, who, being of an irritable temper, went by the 

 nickname of Sekobinyane — a little slavish thing. His 

 treatment of his servants was so bad, that most of them 

 had fled ; and when the Mambari came, and, contrary to 

 the orders of Sekeletu, purchased slaves, Sekobinyane sold 

 one or two of the Barotse children of his village. The 

 rest fled immediately to Masiko, and were gladly received 

 by that Barotse chief as his subjects. 



When Sekeletu and I first ascended the Leeambye we 

 met Sekobinyane coming down, on his way to I^inyanti. 

 On being asked the news, he remained silent about the loss 



