FIGHTING A T BAMANG WA TO. 1 5 5 



" There has been some fighting going on here of 

 late amongst the natives. It took place just before I 

 arrived. You may be aware that Khame left here, 

 and old Sekhomi, his father, remained behind with 

 Khamani, Khame's younger brother. Khame, how- 

 ever, it is supposed, will return and rout Khamani. 

 Sekhomi is looked upon as nobody. Khamani is 

 a gentlemanly well-dressed darkie enough, and the 

 other day he and his men gave Matcheng a warm 

 reception. Matcheng is his uncle, or something of 

 the sort, and once for a short time supplanted Sek- 

 homi. He thought the dispute of the brothers a 

 favourable opportunity for retaking Mungwato, but 

 failed. His people had to climb the steep mountain 

 which flanks the town, turning to fire as they fled, 

 whilst Khamani's men shot at them from the plain. 

 A great deal of ammunition was expended, but com- 

 paratively few natives slain. There were a dozen or 

 so lying about on the slope of the mountain when I 

 arrived, but the hysenas and crows had had a - high 

 old time,' and little was left of them but the skulls. 

 A lot of huts were destroyed during the fight ; and 

 one of the traders here seized the opportunity to 

 burn down the empty huts all round the store where 

 he lives, and it certainly improves his view. 1 



1 The coloured drawing opposite illustrates the position of the 

 town of Shoshong (Bamangwato), In front stretches a dry sandy 

 plain, the native huts collected under the shelter of the mountains, 

 which afford an easy refuge in times of warfare. The huts and stores 

 of a few English traders, built of wood or clay, are seen grouped to- 

 gether at one extremity of the town — to the left hand. The only 

 water in the dry season, as mentioned in a previous chapter, is got 



