ills, we reached
the residence of Semalembue on the 18th. His village is situated at the
bottom of ranges through which the Kafue finds a passage, and close
to the bank of that river. The Kafue, sometimes called Kahowhe or
Bashukulompo River, is upward of two hundred yards wide here, and full
of hippopotami, the young of which may be seen perched on the necks
of their dams. At this point we had reached about the same level as
Linyanti.

Semalembue paid us a visit soon after our arrival, and said that he had
often heard of me, and now that he had the pleasure of seeing me, he
feared that I should sleep the first night at his village hungry. This
was considered the handsome way of introducing a present, for he then
handed five or six baskets of meal and maize, and an enormous one of
ground-nuts. Next morning he gave me about twenty baskets more of meal.
I could make but a poor return for his kindness, but he accepted my
apologies politely, saying that he knew there were no goods in the
country from which I had come, and, in professing great joy at the words
of peace I spoke, he said, "Now I shall cultivate largely, in the hope
of eating and sleeping in peace." It is noticeable that all whom we have
yet met eagerly caught up the idea of living in peace as the probable
effect of the Gospel. They require no explanation of the existence of
the Deity. Sekwebu makes use of the term "Reza", and they appear to
understand at once. Like negroes in general, they have a strong tendency
to worship, and I heard that Semalembue gets a good deal of ivory from
the surrounding tribes on pretense of having some supernatural power.
He transmits this to some other chiefs on the Zambesi, and receives
in return English cotton goods which come from Mozambique by Babisa
traders. My men here began to sell their beads and other ornaments for
cotton cloth. Semalembue was accompanied by about forty people, all
large men. They have much wool on their heads, which is sometimes drawn
all together up to the crown, and tied there in a large tapering bunch.
The forehead and round by the ears is shaven close to the base of this
tuft. Others draw out the hair on one side, and twist it into little
strings. The rest is taken over, and hangs above the ear, which gives
the appearance of having a cap cocked jauntily on the side of the head.

The mode of salutation is by clapping the hands. Various parties of
women came from the surrounding villages to see the wh