Chap. XII. 
THE MAKOLOLO POLKA. 
225 
now followed my example, by ordering some to be kept for me. 
According to their habits, every particle of an ox is devoured at 
one meal; and, as the chief cannot, without a deviation from 
their customs, eat alone, he is often compelled to suffer severely 
from hunger, before another meal is ready. We henceforth 
always worked into each other’s hands by saving a little for each 
other; and when some of the sticklers for use and custom grum¬ 
bled, I advised them to eat like men, and not like vultoes. 
As this was the first visit which Sekeletu had paid to this part 
of his dominions, it was to many a season of great joy. The 
head men of each village presented oxen, milk, and beer, more 
than the horde winch accompanied him could devour, though 
their abilities in that line are something wonderful. The people 
usually show their joy and work off their excitement in dances 
and songs. The dance consists of the men standing nearly 
naked in a circle, with clubs or small battle-axes in them hands, 
and each roaring at the loudest pitch of his voice, wliile they 
simultaneously lift one leg, stamp heavily twice with it, then lift 
the other and give one stamp with that; tliis is the only move¬ 
ment in common. The arms and head are tlirown about also in 
every direction; and all this time the roaring is kept up with 
the utmost possible vigom’; the continued stamping makes a 
cloud of dust ascend, and they leave a deep ring in the ground 
where they have stood. If the scene were witnessed in a lunatic 
asylum it would be notliing out of the way, and quite appro¬ 
priate even, as a means of letting off the excessive excitement 
of the brain; but here grey-headed men joined in the perform¬ 
ance with as much zest as others whose youth might be an 
excuse for making the perspiration stream off their bodies with 
the exertion. Motibe asked what I thought of the Makololo 
dance. I replied, It is very hard work, and brings but small 
profit.” “ It is,” replied he, “ but it is very nice, and Sekeletu 
will give us an ox for dancing for liim.” He usually does 
slaughter an ox for the dancers when the work is over. 
The women stand by, clapping their hands, and occasionally 
one advances into the circle, composed of a hundred men, makes 
a few movements, and then retires. As I never tried it, and 
am unable to enter into the spirit of the tiling, I cannot recom¬ 
mend the Makololo polka to the dancing world, but I have the 
