es. At last all the Makololo and their
cattle were collected on the island of Loyelo, and lay all around,
keeping watch night and day over the enemy. After some time spent in
this way, Sebituane went in a canoe toward them, and, addressing them by
an interpreter, asked why they wished to kill him; he had never attacked
them, never harmed their chief: "Au!" he continued, "the guilt is on
your side." The Matebele made no reply; but the Makololo next day saw
the canoes they had carried so far lying smashed, and the owners gone.
They returned toward their own country, and fever, famine, and
the Batoka completed their destruction; only five men returned to
Mosilikatse.

Sebituane had now not only conquered all the black tribes over an
immense tract of country, but had made himself dreaded even by the
terrible Mosilikatse. He never could trust this ferocious chief,
however; and, as the Batoka on the islands had been guilty of ferrying
his enemies across the Zambesi, he made a rapid descent upon them,
and swept them all out of their island fastnesses. He thus unwittingly
performed a good service to the country by completely breaking down the
old system which prevented trade from penetrating into the great central
valley. Of the chiefs who escaped, he said, "They love Mosilikatse, let
them live with him: the Zambesi is my line of defense;" and men were
placed all along it as sentinels. When he heard of our wish to visit
him, he did all he could to assist our approach. Sechele, Sekomi, and
Lechulatebe owed their lives to his clemency; and the latter might have
paid dearly for his obstructiveness. Sebituane knew every thing that
happened in the country, for he had the art of gaining the affections
both of his own people and of strangers. When a party of poor men came
to his town to sell their hoes or skins, no matter how ungainly they
might be, he soon knew them all. A company of these indigent strangers,
sitting far apart from the Makololo gentlemen around the chief, would be
surprised to see him come alone to them, and, sitting down, inquire if
they were hungry. He would order an attendant to bring meal, milk, and
honey, and, mixing them in their sight, in order to remove any suspicion
from their minds, make them feast, perhaps for the first time in their
lives, on a lordly dish. Delighted beyond measure with his affability
and liberality, they felt their hearts warm toward him, and gave him
all the information in their power;