ion;
their return is a time of joy.

It is impossible to say whether this valley, which contains so much
moisture, would raise wheat as the valley of the Nile does. It is
probably too rich, and would make corn run entirely to straw, for one
species of grass was observed twelve feet high, with a stem as thick as
a man's thumb. At present the pasturage is never eaten off, though the
Makololo possess immense herds of cattle.

There are no large towns, the mounds on which the towns and villages are
built being all small, and the people require to live apart on account
of their cattle.

This visit was the first Sekeletu had made to these parts since he
attained the chieftainship. Those who had taken part with Mpepe were
consequently in great terror. When we came to the town of Mpepe's
father, as he and another man had counseled Mamochisane to put Sekeletu
to death and marry Mpepe, the two were led forth and tossed into the
river. Nokuane was again one of the executioners. When I remonstrated
against human blood being shed in the offhand way in which they were
proceeding, the counselors justified their acts by the evidence given by
Mamochisane, and calmly added, "You see we are still Boers; we are not
yet taught."

Mpepe had given full permission to the Mambari slave-dealers to trade
in all the Batoka and Bashukulompo villages to the east of this. He had
given them cattle, ivory, and children, and had received in return
a large blunderbuss to be mounted as a cannon. When the slight
circumstance of my having covered the body of the chief with my own
deranged the whole conspiracy, the Mambari, in their stockade, were
placed in very awkward circumstances. It was proposed to attack them and
drive them out of the country at once; but, dreading a commencement of
hostilities, I urged the difficulties of that course, and showed that
a stockade defended by perhaps forty muskets would be a very serious
affair. "Hunger is strong enough for that," said an under-chief; "a very
great fellow is he." They thought of attacking them by starvation. As
the chief sufferers in case of such an attack would have been the poor
slaves chained in gangs, I interceded for them, and the result of an
intercession of which they were ignorant was that they were allowed to
depart in peace.

Naliele, the capital of the Barotse, is built on a mound which was
constructed artificially by Santuru, and was his store-house for grain.
His own capital stood abo