180 
SLAVE-TEADEES. 
Chap. IX. 
ship of the “ Mopato ” of the age of his daughter, chose him as 
the nearest male relative to occupy that post; and presuming 
from Mpepe’s connection with his family that he would attend to 
his interests and reheve him from care, he handed his cattle over 
to his custody. Mpepe removed to the chief town, “Nahele,” 
and took such effectual charge of all the cattle, that Sebituane 
saw he could only set matters on their former footing by tlie 
severe measure of Mpepe’s execution. Being unwilhng to do 
tliis, and fearing the enchantments wliich, by means of a number 
of Barotse doctors, Mpepe now used in a hut built for the 
purpose, and longing for peaceful retirement after tliirty years’ 
fighting, he heard mth pleasure of our arrival at the lake, and 
came down as far as Sesheke to meet us. He had an idea, 
picked up fi’om some of the numerous strangers who visited liim, 
that wliite men had a “ pot (a cannon) in thek towns winch would 
burn up any attacldng partyand he thought if he could only 
get this he would be able to “ sleep ” the remainder of his days 
in peace. Tliis he hoped to obtain from the white men. Hence 
the cry of the herald—“ Give us sleep.” It is remarkable how 
anxious for peace those who have been fighting all theh lives 
appear to be. 
When Sekeletu was installed in the chieftainsliip, he felt his 
position rather inseciu’e, for it was behoved that the incantations 
of Mpepe had an intimate connection with Sebituane’s death. 
Indeed, the latter had said to his son, “ That hut of incantation 
will prove fatal to either you or me.” 
When the Mambari, in 1850, took home a favourable report of 
this new market to the west, a number of half-caste Portuguese 
slave-traders were induced to come in 1853; and one, who re¬ 
sembled closely a real Portuguese, came to Linyanti while I was 
there. This man had no merchandise, and pretended to have 
come in order to inquire “ what sort of goods were necessary for 
the market.” He seemed much disconcerted by my presence 
there. Sekeletu presented him with an elephant’s tusk and an 
ox; and when he had departed about fifty miles to the west¬ 
ward, he carried off an entire village of the Bakalahari belonging 
to the Makololo. He had a number of armed slaves with liim ; 
and as all the villagers—men, women, and cliOdren—were re¬ 
moved, and the fact was unknown until a considerable time 
