to ask for fish, beer, corn, and a few insignificant curiosities.
Through “August,” the Manansa servant who acted as interpreter, the visitors informed me that Makumba, the chief, was now on the farther side of the Zambesi elephant hunting; and, moreover, that he was not at liberty to receive me until an answer had been received from Sepopo authorizing my admission. They even declined on this account to take any present from myself to Makumba, and when I afterwards saw the chief, he entered fully into the particulars of the relations of his people with the monarch of the Marutse.
It was soon very evident that our guests had very little regard for the law of “meum and tuum,” and we had to keep a very sharp look-out upon their proceedings throughout their visit.
Next day I received more visits from the Masupias. They were continually asking the servants, who understood their Makololo dialect, whether Georosiani Maniniani had any Matabele people with him in the Leshumo valley, as they were forbidden to permit them to enter the kingdom, even although they might declare that they had the king’s pass, and had I myself insisted upon taking any Matabele attendants, it is quite certain that, like Stanley, I should have had to make my way by force.
By the Marutse and Mashonas the Matabele are held in just as much detestation as are the Mohammedan slave-dealers from the east coast by the natives of Central Africa. Although it is quite possible that with a party of Matabele servants I might have traversed the whole continent from south to north, any white man coming after me
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