lol2. SERRAKUTU. — FIRST INTERVIEW WITH MATTIVI. 361 
person in authority who might have been in readiness, would have 
come forward to meet me ; but as I could distinguish in the multitude 
no person of this description, all being dressed alike, I ordered my 
men to loose the oxen from the yoke, and drive them and the other 
cattle back to the open space on the outside of the town. 
The crowd which had collected round us, was now so much 
increased by the people who flocked from all parts of the town to 
view us, that I was soon enclosed in soigreat a multitude, that every 
object beyond them was excluded from my sight. Muchunka, as my 
interpreter, remained close by my side ; but my Hottentots were so 
intermingled with the natives, that I saw little of them after the 
oxen had been unyoked. 
In this situation I found that I was surrounded by most of the 
principal men of Litakun. Among the foremost and most loquacious 
was the Chief's uncle Serrakutu (Serrakootoo) the brother of Muli- 
haban, and the first who was introduced to me : for here, the pecu- 
liarity of the case required that the practice of civilized countries 
should be reversed ; and instead of introducing the stranger to the 
chief personage, it was necessary to point out this one to the stranger, 
who, otherwise, could not have distinguished him from the rest of 
the crowd ; though, on the other hand, there was little necessity for 
indicating to him who was the stranger. 
After waiting about five minutes, a man who stood close by my 
side, was without much ceremony brought to my notice as Mattwi, 
the Chief of the Bachapins. Whether he had stood there the whole 
time, or had but just forced his way through the crowd, I was too 
much engaged to have noticed ; but in his peculiar silence and re- 
served manners he formed a striking contrast to his uncle Serrakutu, 
who now openly exulted in the superiority of his judgment in having, 
contrary to the opinion of the Chief himself and of every one else, 
persisted in assuring them that, notwithstanding the report of my 
having returned to the colony, I should certainly visit their town. 
This person, therefore more especially, seemed pleased at my coming, 
and placed himself so far forward in the conversation, that had I 
VOL. II. 3 A 
