uld take a wife
among them. By this expedient she hoped to secure his friendship, and
also accurate information as to the future intentions of the Makololo.
She thought that he would visit the Balonda more frequently afterward,
having the good excuse of going to see his wife; and the Makololo would
never, of course, kill the villagers among whom so near a relative of
one of their own children dwells. Kolimbota, I found, thought favorably
of the proposition, and it afterward led to his desertion from us.

On the evening of the day in which Manenko arrived, we were delighted
by the appearance of Mosantu and an imposing embassy from Masiko. It
consisted of all his under-chiefs, and they brought a fine elephant's
tusk, two calabashes of honey, and a large piece of blue baize, as a
present. The last was intended perhaps to show me that he was a truly
great chief, who had such stores of white men's goods at hand that he
could afford to give presents of them; it might also be intended for
Mosantu, for chiefs usually remember the servants; I gave it to him.
Masiko expressed delight, by his principal men, at the return of the
captives, and at the proposal of peace and alliance with the Makololo.
He stated that he never sold any of his own people to the Mambari, but
only captives whom his people kidnapped from small neighboring tribes.
When the question was put whether his people had been in the habit of
molesting the Makololo by kidnapping their servants and stealing canoes,
it was admitted that two of his men, when hunting, had gone to the
Makololo gardens, to see if any of their relatives were there. As the
great object in all native disputes is to get both parties to turn over
a new leaf, I explained the desirableness of forgetting past feuds,
accepting the present Makololo professions as genuine, and avoiding in
future to give them any cause for marauding. I presented Masiko with an
ox, furnished by Sekeletu as provision for ourselves. All these people
are excessively fond of beef and butter, from having been accustomed to
them in their youth, before the Makololo deprived them of cattle. They
have abundance of game, but I am quite of their opinion that, after all,
there is naught in the world equal to roast beef, and that in their
love for it the English show both good taste and sound sense. The ox was
intended for Masiko, but his men were very anxious to get my sanction
for slaughtering it on the spot. I replied that when it