112 
SOCIAL MODE OF EATING. 
feront joints arc placed before Sekoletu, and ho apportions 
them among the gentlemen of the party. Tho whole is 
rapidly divided by thoir attendants, cut into long strips, 
and so many of tlieso aro thrown into tho tires at once that 
they aro nearly put out. Half broiled and burning hot, 
tho moat is quickly handed round ; ovory one gets a mouth- 
ful, but no one except tho chief has timo to masticato. It 
is not tho enjoyment of eating they aim at, but to get as 
much of tho food into tho stomach as possible during tho 
short timo tho others aro cramming as well as thomselvos, 
for no ono can cat moro than a mouthful after tho others 
have finishod. They aro eminently gregarious in their 
eating ; and, as they despise any one who eats alone, I 
always poured out two cups of coffee at my own meals, so 
that tho chief, or some ono of the principal men, might 
parts ko along with mo. They all soon become very fond 
of eoffco ; and, indeed, some of tho tribes attribute greater 
fecundity to the daily uso of this beverage. They wore all 
well acquainted with tho sugarcane, as they cultivate it 
in tho Barotso country, but know nothing of tho method 
of extracting tho sugar from it. Thoy uso tho cane only 
for chewing. Sekoletu, relishing the sweet coffco and bis- 
cuits, of which I thon had a store, said “he know my heart 
loved him by finding his own heart warming to my food.’ 
Ho had been visited during my absence at tho Capo by 
some traders and Griquas, and “thoir coffco did not taste 
half so nice as mine, because they loved his ivory and not 
himself.” This was cortainly an original mode of dis- 
cerning character. 
Sekelotu and I had each a little gipsy-tent in which to 
sloop. Tho Makololo huts aro generally clean, while those 
of tho Makalaka aro infested with vermin. Tho cleanli- 
ness of tho former is owing to tho habit of frequently 
smearing the floors with a plastor composed of cow-dung 
and earth. If wo slept in tho tent in some villagos, the 
mice ran over our faces and disturbed our sleep, or hungry 
prowling dogs would cat our shoes and leavo only the 
