398 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
conquering all before them, the race of inhabitants were 
Xopetta, who, as a matter of course, became the slaves 
of the victorious impi. By the mixture of peoples the 
language has become corrupted, or rather hybrid in its 
character. 
The Angoni, when entering or leaving a hut while 
you are there, salute you with the words “ Sikome 
bambo,” wiiich means, “ Give me leave to come into 
your house.” I observed that they used the word sikomo 
on all occasions when anything was given them. At 
such times, too, they frequently clapped their breasts 
with the palm of their hands. In Xopetta language 
they say “ e'ko,” which is intended to convey the same 
meaning as “ sikomo.” Bambo ” is the word used by 
sons to their fathers, and by inferiors to superiors. 
“ Tekuone ” is a word used in salutation; it means “ I 
see you,” being equivalent to the “ sagu-bona ” of the 
Zulus. Should a visitor come from a distance, and 
happen to be acquainted with the people, they clap their 
hands. 
People and languages seem to be mixed. Every 
now and then I heard Zulu words. One night a man 
coming into the kraal accidentally struck a bystander 
with his rifle, and he instantly said “ pej 3 a,” as do 
the Zulus, the word signifying sympathy, or a polite 
“ pardon me.” 
While awaiting the king’s pleasure, Da Costa and my¬ 
self sometimes went out on short hunting expeditions ; 
but game was hardly to be found, on account of the 
numerous villao-es which dotted the land in everv direc- 
tion. Hippos abounded in the Revuqwe or Revubwe 
river, even at places where the stream was but a stone’s- 
throw wide. 
One afternoon I succeeded in startling a very large 
crocodile, which we saw on our return journey home¬ 
wards. While walking along the banks of the river we 
came very near to the reptile, as he lay close to a pile of 
drifted reeds. The first thought that struck me was 
whether the people would be like the Matabeli in their 
superstitions, in which case the dispatch of a crocodile by 
