356 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
which were found to arise from the dread that 
they were coming to take vengeance for the death 
of Dr Cowan and his party. When they were 
found to have no such object in view, the natives 
immediately thronged around them with the most 
eager wish, both to gratify their curiosity and to 
obtain presents. The party were thus obhged, 
by drawing their waggons •round in a circle, to 
form a space within them, in which they might 
be sheltered from these solicitations. Tobacco 
and snufF were the objects in most eager demands 
One of the king's wives having asked Mr Read 
for a supply, was answered, that he did not take 
snuff ; on which she observed, that he would on 
that account have the more to spare. 
Soon after, Mateebe, the present sovereign, and 
son to the king who had received the former 
party, arrived from a hunting expedition. He 
marched through the town with numerous attend- 
ants, bearing spears and poles dressed with black 
ostrich feathers. He passed through the square 
without taking any notice of the strangers ; but 
after having spent about ten minutes in conver- 
sation with his ministers, he called them in. His 
first reception was not extremely courteous, and 
he rather declined the proposition of a permanent 
mission being established a-t Leetakoo, urging 
that the people were so much occupied with their 
cattle, planting, and other branches of industry, 
