against his tribe, nor, indeed, against any Bechuana tribe. It
is, in fact, unknown in the country, except during actual warfare. His
independence and love of the English were his only faults. In my last
journey there, of about two hundred miles, on parting at the River
Marikwe he gave me two servants, "to be," as he said, "his arms to serve
me," and expressed regret that he could not come himself. "Suppose we
went north," I said, "would you come?" He then told me the story
of Sebituane having saved his life, and expatiated on the far-famed
generosity of that really great man. This was the first time I had
thought of crossing the Desert to Lake Ngami.

The conduct of the Boers, who, as will be remembered, had sent a letter
designed to procure my removal out of the country, and their well-known
settled policy which I have already described, became more fully
developed on this than on any former occasion. When I spoke to Mr.
Hendrick Potgeiter of the danger of hindering the Gospel of Christ among
these poor savages, he became greatly excited, and called one of his
followers to answer me. He threatened to attack any tribe that might
receive a native teacher, yet he promised to use his influence to
prevent those under him from throwing obstacles in our way. I could
perceive plainly that nothing more could be done in that direction, so I
commenced collecting all the information I could about the desert, with
the intention of crossing it, if possible. Sekomi, the chief of the
Bamangwato, was acquainted with a route which he kept carefully to
himself, because the Lake country abounded in ivory, and he drew large
quantities thence periodically at but small cost to himself.

Sechele, who valued highly every thing European, and was always fully
alive to his own interest, was naturally anxious to get a share of that
inviting field. He was most anxious to visit Sebituane too, partly,
perhaps, from a wish to show off his new acquirements, but chiefly, I
believe, from having very exalted ideas of the benefits he would derive
from the liberality of that renowned chieftain. In age and family
Sechele is the elder and superior of Sekomi; for when the original
tribe broke up into Bamangwato, Bangwaketse, and Bakwains, the Bakwains
retained the hereditary chieftainship; so their chief, Sechele,
possesses certain advantages over Sekomi, the chief of the Bamangwato.
If the two were traveling or hunting together, Sechele would take, by
righ