Formerly I Had Been The Chief Speaker,
Now I Would Leave The Task Of Speaking To Them.
Pitsane then delivered
a speech of upward of an hour in length, giving a highly flattering picture
of the whole journey, of the kindness of the white men in general,
and of Mr. Gabriel in particular.
He concluded by saying that
I had done more for them than they expected; that I had not only opened up
a path for them to the other white men, but conciliated all the chiefs
along the route. The oldest man present rose and answered this speech,
and, among other things, alluded to the disgust I felt at the Makololo
for engaging in marauding expeditions against Lechulatebe and Sebolamakwaia,
of which we had heard from the first persons we met, and which my companions
most energetically denounced as "mashue hela", entirely bad.
He entreated me not to lose heart, but to reprove Sekeletu as my child.
Another old man followed with the same entreaties. The following day
we observed as our thanksgiving to God for his goodness in bringing us all
back in safety to our friends. My men decked themselves out in their best,
and I found that, although their goods were finished, they had managed to save
suits of European clothing, which, being white, with their red caps,
gave them rather a dashing appearance. They tried to walk like the soldiers
they had seen in Loanda, and called themselves my "braves" (batlabani).
During the service they all sat with their guns over their shoulders,
and excited the unbounded admiration of the women and children.
I addressed them all on the goodness of God in preserving us
from all the dangers of strange tribes and disease. We had a similar service
in the afternoon. The men gave us two fine oxen for slaughter,
and the women supplied us abundantly with milk, meal, and butter.
It was all quite gratuitous, and I felt ashamed that I could make no return.
My men explained the total expenditure of our means, and the Libontese
answered gracefully, "It does not matter; you have opened a path for us,
and we shall have sleep." Strangers came flocking from a distance,
and seldom empty-handed. Their presents I distributed among my men.
Our progress down the Barotse valley was just like this. Every village
gave us an ox, and sometimes two. The people were wonderfully kind.
I felt, and still feel, most deeply grateful, and tried to benefit them
in the only way I could, by imparting the knowledge of that Savior
who can comfort and supply them in the time of need, and my prayer is that
he may send his good Spirit to instruct them and lead them into his kingdom.
Even now I earnestly long to return, and make some recompense to them
for their kindness. In passing them on our way to the north,
their liberality might have been supposed to be influenced
by the hope of repayment on our return, for the white man's land
is imagined to be the source of every ornament they prize most.
But, though we set out from Loanda with a considerable quantity of goods,
hoping both to pay our way through the stingy Chiboque,
and to make presents to the kind Balonda and still more generous Makololo,
the many delays caused by sickness made us expend all my stock,
and all the goods my men procured by their own labor at Loanda,
and we returned to the Makololo as poor as when we set out.
Yet no distrust was shown, and my poverty did not lessen my influence.
They saw that I had been exerting myself for their benefit alone,
and even my men remarked, "Though we return as poor as we went,
we have not gone in vain." They began immediately to collect
tusks of hippopotami and other ivory for a second journey.
Chapter 25.
Colony of Birds called Linkololo - The Village of Chitlane -
Murder of Mpololo's Daughter - Execution of the Murderer and his Wife -
My Companions find that their Wives have married other Husbands -
Sunday - A Party from Masiko - Freedom of Speech - Canoe struck
by a Hippopotamus - Gonye - Appearance of Trees at the end of Winter -
Murky Atmosphere - Surprising Amount of organic Life -
Hornets - The Packages forwarded by Mr. Moffat -
Makololo Suspicions and Reply to the Matebele who brought them -
Convey the Goods to an Island and build a Hut over them - Ascertain that
Sir R. Murchison had recognized the true Form of African Continent -
Arrival at Linyanti - A grand Picho - Shrewd Inquiry -
Sekeletu in his Uniform - A Trading-party sent to Loanda with Ivory -
Mr. Gabriel's Kindness to them - Difficulties in Trading -
Two Makololo Forays during our Absence - Report of the Country to the N.E.
- Death of influential Men - The Makololo desire to be nearer the Market
- Opinions upon a Change of Residence - Climate of Barotse Valley -
Diseases - Author's Fevers not a fair Criterion in the Matter -
The Interior an inviting Field for the Philanthropist - Consultations about
a Path to the East Coast - Decide on descending North Bank of Zambesi -
Wait for the Rainy Season - Native way of spending Time during the period
of greatest Heat - Favorable Opening for Missionary Enterprise -
Ben Habib wishes to marry - A Maiden's Choice - Sekeletu's Hospitality -
Sulphureted Hydrogen and Malaria - Conversations with Makololo -
Their moral Character and Conduct - Sekeletu wishes to purchase
a Sugar-mill, etc. - The Donkeys - Influence among the Natives -
"Food fit for a Chief" - Parting Words of Mamire - Motibe's Excuses.
On the 31st of July we parted with our kind Libonta friends.
We planted some of our palm-tree seeds in different villages of this valley.
They began to sprout even while we were there, but, unfortunately,
they were always destroyed by the mice which swarm in every hut.
At Chitlane's village we collected the young of a colony of
the linkololo (`Anastomus lamalligerus'), a black, long-legged bird,
somewhat larger than a crow, which lives on shellfish (`Ampullaria'),
and breeds in society at certain localities among the reeds.
These places are well known, as they continue there from year to year,
and belong to the chiefs, who at particular times of the year
gather most of the young.
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