430 SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
hundreds had arrived, speeches were delivered, 
in which my history, so far as they could ex- 
tract it from my companions, was given. " The 
Bible containing a message of peace ;" " The 
return of two captives to Shinte The open- 
ing of a new path for trade/' &c. ; were all 
described. " Perhaps he is fibbing, perhaps 
not;" "They rather thought he was;" "But 
as they were good-hearted, and not at all like 
Balobale, or people of Sekeletu, and had never 
done any evil to any one, Shinte had better 
treat him well, and send him on his way." The 
women occasionally burst forth with a plaintive 
ditty, but I could not distinguish whether it 
was in praise of the speakers or of themselves : 
and when the sun became hot, the scene closed. 
"Shinte came during the night, and hung 
around my neck a particular kind of shell, 
which is highly valued, as a proof of the great- 
est friendship ; and he was greatly delighted 
with some scriptural pictures which I showed 
him from a magic lantern. 
"The spirit of trade is strong in all Africans, 
and the Balonda chiefs we visited, all highly 
approved of our journey. Each expressed an 
earnest hope that the projected path might lead 
through his town. Shinte facilitated our pro- 
gress to the next important chief, named Ka- 
tema, and we again reached the Leeba, in lat. 
