1883.] Among the Barotse. 71 
or travel across that border. The headmen of the country 
expressed themselves pleased that I had come alone ; and 
several times when I spoke to the king about bringing a brother 
back with me the next time I went south, he always objected, 
and said that neither he nor his people wanted white men in 
their country. At last, however, he said, of his own accord, 
"Bring your brother with you when you return, that I may 
see him." True, he sent word to M. Coillard, who went up 
as far as Shesheke about five years ago, that he might return and 
live in the country ; and M. Coillard went to Europe with a 
view of organizing a party to return with him. But the greater 
the number of his party, the longer time will the chiefs require to 
consider the question of their advance.^ 
Covetousness is the ruling passion of these natives, and it 
destroys all other natural feelings. Here a man will kill another 
for his coat. Seeing a defenceless party with, as they think, more 
of this world's goods than their share, they will try every means 
to distress, rob, or even kill them, for the sake of their goods. 
This was one cause of the failure of the L. M. S. Mission, sent 
to the Zambesi fifteen or twenty years ago at the advice of 
Livingstone. The things they took with them were many and 
good, and very tempting in the eyes of the natives ; so they tried 
every means to dispose of the missionaries, and succeeded too 
well. This is one great cause of the present failure of the 
Jesuits. One " father " was undoubtedly poisoned for the sake of 
a waggon-load of goods of which he was in charge, and the party 
was openly robbed at different places, to the amount of many 
hundred pounds. Now, as the people think they have obtained 
all they are likely to get, they are bent on getting the priests out 
of the country as soon as possible. 
I proved this power of avarice over other feelings to a small 
extent myself. When I first went to the king's town, I had, of 
course, a few things on hand for buying food, etc. So long as I 
had even a little, I was very much troubled by people coming to 
me, simply to beg for presents — headmen and their wives ; even 
* M. Coillard and party arrived at the Zambesi in 1884, after my de- 
parture. They were detained at Leshuma and Shesheke for nigh eighteen 
months, on account of the revolution that broke out on the Upper Zambesi 
that year ; but, after a time of unheard-of trial and suffering, M. Coillard 
has established himself with his heroic wife at Lealui. 
