i882.] 
On the Way to the Zambesi. 
23 
practices are carried on secretly among his people ; such as the 
murdering of children. A deformed child is at once put to death ; 
twins are seldom allowed to live. If any pecuhar circumstance 
happen at the birth of a child, or any suspicious omen occur, 
such as the call of certain animals or birds, the child is murdered. 
The ordinary way is to pour boihng water down the child's throat, 
and carry the body out to the wolves; they also cast out the 
old people. Some of them still cut their bodies, use enchant- 
ments, etc., but their heathen customs are not openly observed. 
I can, nevertheless, say confidently that one would see more 
vice and open immorality on a Saturday night in the High Street, 
Glasgow, than would be seen here in twelve months. 
The clothing of the people is scanty, but sufficient. They 
are naturally civil and polite to each other, and when addressing 
an older or superior person, finish every sentence with " my 
father," or "my mother." Both young and old address me as 
"my father," and often as "my lord;" but it is merely civility. 
Shoshong is built and ordered after the manner of a military 
camp, and everything is done by word of command. The gardens 
are tilled at the word of the chief ; the crops cannot be gathered 
until the order is given. Each man is supposed to be able to 
muster a gun or so many spears. The people in the town live 
together in what might be called regiments, the huts of each 
regiment being clustered round the hut of its captain ; and 
around the town there is a double row of outposts, extending a 
long way into the veldt. 
I have seen two turn-outs of the army since I came. On one 
occasion an attack was expected from the Matabele. When the 
report first came every man at once armed himself, and all 
began jointly to get themselves into training for fighting. For 
several mornings in succession they had a grand race of six 
miles. It was a strange sight to see ten or twelve thousand 
men, in all sorts of fantastic dresses, running along as hard as 
they could, all the time shouting and boasting of what they 
could do. At another time Kama had some difficulty with the 
Boer Government, and was afraid the Boers would attack him ; 
but it soon passed off. 
There is much in the history and folk-lore of these people 
that is very interesting. An intelligent young trader told me that 
