ana tribes living adjacent to the Kalahari
Desert, who have plenty of skins for the purpose. Animals of all kinds
are rare here, and a very small piece of calico is of great value.

In the midst of the heavy rain, which continued all the morning,
Intemese sent to say he was laid up with pains in the stomach, and must
not be disturbed; but when it cleared up, about eleven, I saw our friend
walking off to the village, and talking with a very loud voice. On
reproaching him for telling an untruth, he turned it off with a laugh by
saying he really had a complaint in his stomach, which I might cure
by slaughtering one of the oxen and allowing him to eat beef. He was
evidently reveling in the abundance of good food the chief's orders
brought us; and he did not feel the shame I did when I gave a few beads
only in return for large baskets of meal.

A very old man visited us here with a present of maize: like the others,
he had never before seen a white man, and, when conversing with him,
some of the young men remarked that they were the true ancients, for
they had now seen more wonderful things than their forefathers.

One of Intemese's men stole a fowl given me by a lady of the village.
When charged with the theft, every one of Intemese's party vociferated
his innocence and indignation at being suspected, continuing their
loud asseverations and gesticulations for some minutes. One of my men,
Loyanke, went off to the village, brought the lady who had presented the
fowl to identify it, and then pointed to the hut in which it was hidden.
The Balonda collected round him, evincing great wrath; but Loyanke
seized his battle-axe in the proper manner for striking, and, placing
himself on a little hillock, soon made them moderate their tones.
Intemese then called on me to send one of my people to search the huts
if I suspected his people. The man sent soon found it, and brought it
out, to the confusion of Intemese and the laughter of our party. This
incident is mentioned to show that the greater superstition which exists
here does not lead to the practice of the virtues. We never met an
instance like this of theft from a white man among the Makololo, though
they complain of the Makalaka as addicted to pilfering. The honesty of
the Bakwains has been already noticed. Probably the estimation in which
I was held as a public benefactor, in which character I was not yet
known to the Balonda, may account for the sacredness with which my
prop