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May he have plenty of meat on this journey!" etc., etc. I gave many public addresses to the people of Sesheke under the outspreading camel-thorn-tree, which serves as a shade to the kotla on the high bank of the river. It was pleasant to see the long lines of men, women, and children winding along from different quarters of the town, each party following behind their respective head men.
When we entered the kotla, the whole of Manenko's party saluted Shinte by clapping their hands, and Sambanza did obeisance by rubbing his chest and arms with ashes. One of the trees being unoccupied, I retreated to it for the sake of the shade, and my whole party did the same. We were now about forty yards from the chief, and could see the whole ceremony.
A poor man attaches himself to the kotla of a rich one, and is considered a child of the latter. An under-chief has a number of these circles around his; and the collection of kotlas around the great one in the middle of the whole, that of the principal chief, constitutes the town.
The circle of huts immediately around the kotla of the chief is composed of the huts of his wives and those of his blood relations. He attaches the under-chiefs to himself and his government by marrying, as Sechele did, their daughters, or inducing his brothers to do so. They are fond of the relationship to great families.
They build their huts around his, and the greater the number of children, the more his importance increases. Hence children are esteemed one of the greatest blessings, and are always treated kindly. Near the centre of each circle of huts there is a spot called a "kotla", with a fireplace; here they work, eat, or sit and gossip over the news of the day.
The Bakwain Country Study of the Language Native Ideas regarding Comets Mabotsa Station A Lion Encounter Virus of the Teeth of Lions Names of the Bechuana Tribes Sechele His Ancestors Obtains the Chieftainship His Marriage and Government The Kotla First public Religious Services Sechele's Questions He Learns to Read Novel mode for Converting his Tribe Surprise at their Indifference Polygamy Baptism of Sechele Opposition of the Natives Purchase Land at Chonuane Relations with the People Their Intelligence Prolonged Drought Consequent Trials Rain-medicine God's Word blamed Native Reasoning Rain-maker Dispute between Rain Doctor and Medical Doctor The Hunting Hopo Salt or animal Food a necessary of Life Duties of a Missionary.
Departure from Linyanti A Thunder-storm An Act of genuine Kindness Fitted out a second time by the Makololo Sail down the Leeambye Sekote's Kotla and human Skulls; his Grave adorned with Elephants' Tusks Victoria Falls Native Names Columns of Vapor Gigantic Crack Wear of the Rocks Shrines of the Barimo "The Pestle of the Gods" Second Visit to the Falls Island Garden Store-house Island Native Diviners A European Diviner Makololo Foray Marauder to be fined Mambari Makololo wish to stop Mambari Slave-trading Part with Sekeletu Night Traveling River Lekone Ancient fresh-water Lakes Formation of Lake Ngami Native Traditions Drainage of the Great Valley Native Reports of the Country to the North Maps Moyara's Village Savage Customs of the Batoka A Chain of Trading Stations Remedy against Tsetse "The Well of Joy" First Traces of Trade with Europeans Knocking out the front Teeth Facetious Explanation Degradation of the Batoka Description of the Traveling Party Cross the Unguesi Geological Formation Ruins of a large Town Productions of the Soil similar to those in Angola Abundance of Fruit.
Nyamoana's Present Charms Manenko's pedestrian Powers An Idol Balonda Arms Rain Hunger Palisades Dense Forests Artificial Beehives Mushrooms Villagers lend the Roofs of their Houses Divination and Idols Manenko's Whims A night Alarm Shinte's Messengers and Present The proper Way to approach a Village A Merman Enter Shinte's Town: its Appearance Meet two half-caste Slave-traders The Makololo scorn them The Balonda real Negroes Grand Reception from Shinte His Kotla Ceremony of Introduction The Orators Women Musicians and Musical Instruments A disagreeable Request Private Interviews with Shinte Give him an Ox Fertility of Soil Manenko's new Hut Conversation with Shinte Kolimbota's Proposal Balonda's Punctiliousness Selling Children Kidnapping Shinte's Offer of a Slave Magic Lantern Alarm of Women Delay Sambanza returns intoxicated The last and greatest Proof of Shinte's Friendship.
The initiated alone can approach, but in this town I was once a spectator of the second part of the ceremony of the circumcision, called "sechu". Just at the dawn of day, a row of boys of nearly fourteen years of age stood naked in the kotla, each having a pair of sandals as a shield on his hands.
The kotla, or place of audience, was about a hundred yards square, and two graceful specimens of a species of banian stood near one end; under one of these sat Shinte, on a sort of throne covered with a leopard's skin.
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