We left Quendende’s village in company with Quendende himself, and the principal man of the embassadors of Matiamvo, and after two or three miles’ march to the N.W., came to the ford of the Lotembwa, which flows southward.  A canoe was waiting to ferry us over, but it was very tedious work; for, though the river itself was only eighty yards wide, the whole valley was flooded, and we were obliged to paddle more than half a mile to get free of the water.  A fire was lit to warm old Quendende, and enable him to dry his tobacco-leaves.  The leaves are taken from the plant, and spread close to the fire until they are quite dry and crisp; they are then put into a snuff-box, which, with a little pestle, serves the purpose of a mill to grind them into powder; it is then used as snuff.  As we sat by the fire, the embassadors communicated their thoughts freely respecting the customs of their race.  When a chief dies, a number of servants are slaughtered with him to form his company in the other world.  The Barotse followed the same custom, and this and other usages show them to be genuine negroes, though neither they nor the Balonda resemble closely the typical form of that people.  Quendende said if he were present on these occasions he would hide his people, so that they might not be slaughtered.  As we go north, the people become more bloodily superstitious.

We were assured that if the late Matiamvo took a fancy to any thing, such, for instance, as my watch-chain, which was of silver wire, and was a great curiosity, as they had never seen metal plaited before, he would order a whole village to be brought up to buy it from a stranger.  When a slave-trader visited him, he took possession of all his goods; then, after ten days or a fortnight, he would send out a party of men to pounce upon some considerable village, and, having killed the head man, would pay for all the goods by selling the inhabitants.  This has frequently been the case, and nearly all the visitants he ever had were men of color.  On asking if Matiamvo did not know he was a man, and would be judged, in company with those he destroyed, by a Lord who is no respector of persons? the embassador replied, “We do not go up to God, as you do; we are put into the ground.”  I could not ascertain that even those who have such a distinct perception of the continued existence of departed spirits had any notion of heaven; they appear to imagine the souls to be always near the place of sepulture.

After crossing the River Lotembwa we traveled about eight miles, and came to Katema’s straggling town (lat. 11d 35’ 49” S., long. 22d 27’ E.).  It is more a collection of villages than a town.  We were led out about half a mile from the houses, that we might make for ourselves the best lodging we could of the trees and grass, while Intemese was taken to Katema to undergo the usual process of pumping as to our past conduct and professions.  Katema soon afterward sent a handsome present of food.