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TRANSACTIONS AT 
[1820. 
metal on his wrists. On inquiry, they said the 
metal was not found in their country, but came 
from a nation of white people beyond them, 
which can be no other, I apprehend, than the 
Portuguese on the shores of Mosambique. The 
features of these men differed from any I had yet 
seen, and wore a milder expression. None of 
them were smeared with paint, which gave them 
an uncommon appearance in that part of Africa, 
where painting the body is so universal. I em- 
braced the opportunity to send by them a letter 
to our friends at Lattakoo, which was the first 
letter these people had ever seen. 
A little after sunset, the clouds having dis- 
persed, and it being moonlight, the natives 
commenced dancing not far from the waggons. 
This amusement they continued till about ten 
o'clock without intermission. The dance was 
similar to that which I have already described. 
The population of this town may be about six 
or seven hundred. There are two other towns 
under the same jurisdiction, which we did not see. 
Mahalalewhey brought his son Mateebe into 
the tent to introduce him. He had just re- 
turned from paying his addresses to a young 
woman at a distance, but whether he had been 
successful or not his father did not state ; however. 
