SOCIAL CONDITION OF TRIBES. 455 



word, that I may cook food for you." In creating these 

 friendships, my men had the full intention of returning ; 

 each one had his Molekane {friend) in every village of the 

 friendly Balonda. Mohorisi even married a wife in the 

 town of Katema, and Pitsane took another in the town 

 of Shinte. These alliances were looked upon with great 

 favour by the Balonda chiefs, as securing the goodwill 

 of the Makololo. 



In order that the social condition of the tribes may be 

 understood by the reader, I shall mention that, while wait- 

 ing for Sambanza, a party of Barotse came from Nyenko, 

 the former residence of Limboa, who had lately crossed 

 the Leeba on his way towards Masiko. The head-man of 

 this party had brought Iyimboa's son to his father, 

 because the Barotse at Nyenko had, since the departure 

 of Limboa, elected Nananko, another son of Santuru, in 

 his stead ; and our visitor, to whom the boy had been 

 intrusted as a guardian, thinking him to be in danger, 

 fled with him to his father. The Barotse, whom Limboa 

 had left behind at Nyenko, on proceeding to elect Nananko, 

 said, " No, it is quite too much for Limboa to rule over 

 two places." I would have gone to visit Limboa and 

 Masiko too, in order to prevent hostilities, but the state 

 of my ox would not allow it. I therefore sent a message 

 to Limboa by some of his men, protesting against war 

 with his brother, and giving him formal notice that the 

 path up the Leeba had been given to us by the Balonda, 

 the owners of the country, and that no attempt must 

 ever be made to obstruct free intercourse. 



On leaving this place we were deserted by one of our 

 party, Mboenga, an Ambonda man — who had accompanied 

 us all the way to Loanda and back. His father was living 

 with Masiko, and it was natural for him to wish to join 

 his own family again. He went off honestly, with the 

 exception of taking a fine " tari " skin given me by 

 Nyamoana, but he left a parcel of gun-flints which he 

 had carried for me all the way from Loanda. I regretted 

 parting with him thus, and sent notice to him that he 

 need not have run away, and if he wished to come to 

 Sekeletu again, he would be welcome. We subsequently 

 met a large party of Barotse fleeing in the same direction, 

 but when I represented to them that there was a pro- 

 bability of their being sold as slaves in Londa, and none 

 in the country of Sekeletu, they concluded to return. 



