294 GETTING FOOD WITHOUT PAYMENT. 



poor, they are invariably men of great shrewdness and 

 ability. They act the part of messengers on all important 

 occasions, and possess considerable authority in the chief's 

 household. Shakatwala informed us that Katema had 

 not received precise information about us, but if we were 

 peaceably disposed, as he loved strangers, we were to 

 come to his town. We proceeded forthwith, but were 

 turned aside, by the strategy of our friend Intemese, to 

 the village of Quendende, the father-in-law of Katema. 

 This fine old man was so very polite, that we did not 

 regret being obliged to spend Sunday at his village. He 

 expressed his pleasure at having a share in the honour of 

 a visit as well as Katema ; though it seemed to me that 

 the conferring that pleasure required something like a 

 pretty good stock of impudence, in leading twenty-seven 

 men through the country, without the means of purchasing 

 food. My men did a little business for themselves in the 

 begging line ; they generally commenced every interview 

 with new villagers by saying, " I have come from afar ; 

 give me something to eat." I forbade this at first, 

 believing that, as the Makololo had a bad name, the 

 villagers gave food from fear. But, after some time it 

 was evident that in many cases maize and manioc were 

 given from pure generosity. The first time I came to 

 this conclusion was at the house of Mozinkwa ; scarcely 

 any one of my men returned from it without something 

 in his hand ; and as they protested they had not begged, 

 I asked himself, and found that it was the case, and that 

 he had given spontaneously. In other parts the chiefs 

 attended to my wants, and the common people gave 

 liberally to my men. I presented some of my razors and 

 iron spoons to different headmen, but my men had nothing 

 to give ; yet every one tried to appropriate an individual 

 in each village as " Molekane," or comrade, and the 

 villagers often assented ; so if the reader remembers the 

 molekane system of the Mopato, he may perceive that 

 those who presented food freely would expect the Makololo 

 to treat them in like manner, should they ever be placed 

 in similar circumstances. Their country too is so fertile 

 that they are in no want of food themselves ; however, 

 their generosity was remarkable ; only one woman refused 

 to give some of my men food, but her husband calling out 

 to her to be more liberal, she obeyed, scolding all the 

 while. 



