We Remained With Shinte Till The 6th Of July, He Being Unwilling
To Allow Us To Depart Before Hearing In A Formal Manner,
In The Presence Of His Greatest Councilor Chebende, A Message From Limboa,
The Brother Of Masiko.
When Masiko fled from the Makololo country
in consequence of a dislike of being in a state of subjection
To Sebituane,
he came into the territory of Shinte, who received him kindly,
and sent orders to all the villages in his vicinity to supply him with food.
Limboa fled in a westerly direction with a number of people,
and also became a chief. His country was sometimes called Nyenko,
but by the Mambari and native Portuguese traders "Mboela" - the place
where they "turned again", or back. As one of the fruits of polygamy,
the children of different mothers are always in a state of variance.
Each son endeavors to gain the ascendency by enticing away
the followers of the others. The mother of Limboa being of a high family,
he felt aggrieved because the situation chosen by Masiko was better than his.
Masiko lived at a convenient distance from the Saloisho hills,
where there is abundance of iron ore, with which the inhabitants
manufacture hoes, knives, etc. They are also skillful
in making wooden vessels. Limboa felt annoyed because he was obliged
to apply for these articles through his brother, whom he regarded
as his inferior, and accordingly resolved to come into the same district.
As this was looked upon as an assertion of superiority
which Masiko would resist, it was virtually a declaration of war.
Both Masiko and Shinte pleaded my injunction to live in peace and friendship,
but Limboa, confident of success, now sent the message which I was
about to hear - "That he, too, highly approved of the `word' I had given,
but would only for once transgress a little, and live at peace
for ever afterward." He now desired the aid of Shinte to subdue his brother.
Messengers came from Masiko at the same time, desiring assistance
to repel him.
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