Matiamvo Is The Hereditary Title,
Muata Meaning Lord Or Chief.
The late Matiamvo seems,
from the report of these men, to have become insane, for he is said
to
Have sometimes indulged the whim of running a muck in the town
and beheading whomsoever he met, until he had quite a heap of human heads.
Matiamvo explained this conduct by saying that his people were too many,
and he wanted to diminish them. He had absolute power of life and death.
On inquiring whether human sacrifices were still made, as in the time
of Pereira, at Cazembe's, we were informed that these had never been so common
as was represented to Pereira, but that it occasionally happened,
when certain charms were needed by the chief, that a man was slaughtered
for the sake of some part of his body. He added that he hoped
the present chief would not act like his (mad) predecessor,
but kill only those who were guilty of witchcraft or theft.
These men were very much astonished at the liberty enjoyed by the Makololo;
and when they found that all my people held cattle, we were told
that Matiamvo alone had a herd. One very intelligent man among them asked,
"If he should make a canoe, and take it down the river to the Makololo,
would he get a cow for it?" This question, which my men answered
in the affirmative, was important, as showing the knowledge
of a water communication from the country of Matiamvo to the Makololo;
and the river runs through a fertile country abounding in large timber.
If the tribes have intercourse with each other, it exerts a good influence
on their chiefs to hear what other tribes think of their deeds.
The Makololo have such a bad name, on account of their perpetual forays,
that they have not been known in Londa except as ruthless destroyers.
The people in Matiamvo's country submit to much wrong from their chiefs,
and no voice can be raised against cruelty, because they are afraid
to flee elsewhere.
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