A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and its tributaries eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 474 pages of information about A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and its tributaries.

A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and its tributaries eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 474 pages of information about A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and its tributaries.

The Makololo are by far the most intelligent and enterprising of the tribes we have met.  None but brave and daring men remained long with Sebituane, his stern discipline soon eradicated cowardice from his army.  Death was the inevitable doom of the coward.  If the chief saw a man running away from the fight, he rushed after him with amazing speed, and cut him down; or waited till he returned to the town, and then summoned the deserter into his presence.  “You did not wish to die on the field, you wished to die at home, did you? you shall have your wish!” and he was instantly led off and executed.  The present race of young men are inferior in most respects to their fathers.  The old Makololo had many manly virtues; they were truthful, and never stole, excepting in what they considered the honourable way of lifting cattle in fair fight.  But this can hardly be said of their sons; who, having been brought up among the subjected tribes, have acquired some of the vices peculiar to a menial and degraded race.  A few of the old Makololo cautioned us not to leave any of our property exposed, as the blacks were great thieves; and some of our own men advised us to be on our guard, as the Makololo also would steal.  A very few trifling articles were stolen by a young Makololo; and he, on being spoken to on the subject, showed great ingenuity in excusing himself, by a plausible and untruthful story.  The Makololo of old were hard workers, and did not consider labour as beneath them; but their sons never work, regarding it as fit only for the Mashona and Makalaka servants.  Sebituane, seeing that the rival tribes had the advantage over his, in knowing how to manage canoes, had his warriors taught to navigate; and his own son, with his companions, paddled the chief’s canoe.  All the dishes, baskets, stools, and canoes are made by the black tribes called Manyeti and Matlotlora.  The houses are built by the women and servants.  The Makololo women are vastly superior to any we have yet seen.  They are of a light warm brown complexion, have pleasant countenances, and are remarkably quick of apprehension.  They dress neatly, wearing a kilt and mantle, and have many ornaments.  Sebituane’s sister, the head lady of Sesheke, wore eighteen solid brass rings, as thick as one’s finger, on each leg, and three of copper under each knee; nineteen brass rings on her left arm, and eight of brass and copper on her right, also a large ivory ring above each elbow.  She had a pretty bead necklace, and a bead sash encircled her waist.  The weight of the bright brass rings round her legs impeded her walking, and chafed her ankles; but, as it was the fashion, she did not mind the inconvenience, and guarded against the pain by putting soft rag round the lower rings.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and its tributaries from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.