Noonerefusestoacquiesceinthedecisionofthechief，ashehasthepoweroflifeanddeathinhishands，andcanenforcethelawtothatextentifhechooses；butgrumblingisallowed，and，whenmarkedfavoritismisshowntoanyrelativeofthechief，thepeoplegenerallyarenotsoastonishedatthepartialityaswewouldbeinEngland。
ThissystemwasfoundaswelldevelopedamongtheMakololoasamongtheBakwains，orevenbetter，andisnoforeignimportation。
WhenatCassange，mymenhadaslightquarrelamongthemselves，andcametome，astotheirchief，forjudgmentThishadoccurredseveraltimesbefore，sowithoutathoughtIwentoutofthePortuguesemerchant’shouseinwhichIwasaguest，satdown，andheardthecomplaintanddefenseintheusualway。
WhenIhadgivenmydecisioninthecommonadmonitoryform，theywentoffapparentlysatisfiedSeveralPortuguese，whohadbeenviewingtheproceedingswithgreatinterest，complimentedmeonthesuccessofmyteachingthemhowtoactinlitigation；
butIcouldnottakeanycredittomyselfforthesystemwhichIhadfoundready-madetomyhands。
SoonafterourarrivalatLinyanti，Sekeletutookmeaside，andpressedmetomentionthosethingsIlikedbestandhopedtogetfromhim。
Anything，eitherinoroutofhistown，shouldbefreelygivenifIwouldonlymentionitIexplainedtohimthatmyobjectwastoelevatehimandhispeopletobeChristians；butherepliedhedidnotwishtolearntoreadtheBook，forhewasafraid“itmightchangehisheart，andmakehimcontentwithonlyonewife，likeSechele。”Itwasoflittleusetourgethatthechangeofheartimpliedacontentmentwithonewifeequaltohispresentcomplacencyinpolygamy。
Suchapreferenceafterthechangeofmindcouldnotnowbeunderstoodbyhimanymorethanthereal，unmistakablepleasureofreligiousservicescanbythosewhohavenotexperiencedwhatisknownbythetermthe“newheart“。
Iassuredhimthatnothingwasexpectedbutbyhisownvoluntarydecision。
“No，no；hewantedalwaystohavefivewivesatleast。”
IlikedthefranknessofSekeletu，fornothingissowearyingtothespiritastalkingtothosewhoagreewitheverythingadvanced。
Sekeletu，accordingtothesystemoftheBechuanas，becamepossessorofhisfather’swives，andadoptedtwoofthem；
thechildrenbythesewomenare，however，inthesecases，termedbrothers。
Whenanelderbrotherdies，thesamethingoccursinrespectofhiswives；
thebrothernextinagetakesthem，asamongtheJews，andthechildrenthatmaybebornofthosewomenhecallsbrothersalso。
HethusraisesupseedtohisdepartedrelativeAnuncleofSekeletu，beingayoungerbrotherofSebituane，gotthatchieftain’shead-wifeorqueen：
thereisalwaysonewhoenjoysthistitleHerhutiscalledthegreathouse，andherchildreninheritthechieftainshipIfshedies，anewwifeisselectedforthesameposition，andenjoysthesameprivileges，thoughshemayhappentobeamuchyoungerwomanthantherest。
ThemajorityofthewivesofSebituaneweregiventoinfluentialunder-chiefs；
and，inreferencetotheirearlycastingoffthewidow’sweeds，asongwassung，thetenorofwhichwasthatthemenalonefeltthelossoftheirfatherSebituane，thewomenweresosoonsuppliedwithnewhusbandsthattheirheartshadnottimetobecomesorewithgrief。
Thewomencomplainbecausetheproportionsbetweenthesexesaresochangednowthattheyarenotvaluedastheydeserve。
ThemajorityoftherealMakololohavebeencutoffbyfever。
ThosewhoremainareamerefragmentofthepeoplewhocametothenorthwithSebituaneMigratingfromaveryhealthyclimateinthesouth，theyweremoresubjecttothefebrilediseasesofthevalleyinwhichwefoundthemthantheblacktribestheyconquered。
IncomparisonwiththeBarotse，Batoka，andBanyeti，theMakololohaveasicklyhueTheyareofalightbrownish-yellowcolor，whilethetribesreferredtoareverydark，withaslighttingeofolive。
Thewholeofthecoloredtribesconsiderthatbeautyandfairnessareassociated，andwomenlongforchildrenoflightcolorsomuch，thattheysometimeschewthebarkofacertaintreeinhopesofproducingthateffectTomyeyethedarkcolorismuchmoreagreeablethanthetawnyhueofthehalf-caste，whichthatoftheMakolololadiescloselyresemblesThewomengenerallyescapedthefever，buttheyarelessfruitfulthanformerly，and，totheircomplaintofbeingundervaluedonaccountofthedisproportionofthesexes，theynowaddtheirregretsatthewantofchildren，ofwhomtheyareallexcessivelyfond。
TheMakololowomenworkbutlittleIndeed，thefamiliesofthatnationarespreadoverthecountry，oneortwoonlyineachvillage，asthelordsofthelandTheyallhavelordshipovergreatnumbersofsubjectedtribes，whopassbythegeneralnameMakalaka，andwhoareforcedtorendercertainservices，andtoaidintillingthesoil；buteachhashisownlandundercultivation，andotherwiselivesnearlyindependent。
TheyareproudtobecalledMakololo，buttheothertermisoftenusedinreproach，asbetokeninginferiorityThisspeciesofservitudemaybetermedserfdom，asithastoberenderedinconsequenceofsubjectionbyforceofarms，butitisnecessarilyverymildItissoeasyforanyonewhoisunkindlytreatedtomakehisescapetoothertribes，thattheMakololoarecompelledtotreatthem，toagreatextent，ratheraschildrenthanslavesSomemasters，whofailfromdefectoftemperordispositiontosecuretheaffectionsoftheconqueredpeople，frequentlyfindthemselvesleftwithoutasingleservant，inconsequenceoftheabsenceandimpossibilityofenforcingafugitive-slavelaw，andthereadinesswithwhichthosewhoarethemselvessubjectedassistthefugitivesacrosstheriversincanoesTheMakolololadiesareliberalintheirpresentsofmilkandotherfood，andseldomrequiretolabor，exceptinthewayofbeautifyingtheirownhutsandcourt-yards。
Theydrinklargequantitiesofboyaloaoro-alo，thebuzaoftheArabs，which，beingmadeofthegraincalledholcussorghumor“durasaifi“，inaminutestateofsubdivision，isverynutritious，andgivesthatplumpnessofformwhichisconsideredbeautiful。
Theydislikebeingseenattheirpotationsbypersonsoftheoppositesex。
Theycuttheirwoollyhairquiteshort，anddelightinhavingthewholepersonshiningwithbutterTheirdressisakiltreachingtotheknees；
itsmaterialisox-hide，madeassoftasclothItisnotungraceful。
Asoftskinmantleisthrownacrosstheshoulderswhentheladyisunemployed，butwhenengagedinanysortoflaborshethrowsthisaside，andworksinthekiltaloneTheornamentsmostcovetedarelargebrassankletsasthickasthelittlefinger，andarmletsofbothbrassandivory，thelatteroftenaninchbroadTheringsaresoheavythattheanklesareoftenblisteredbytheweightpressingdown；butitisthefashion，andisborneasmagnanimouslyastightlacingandtightshoesamongourselves。
Stringsofbeadsarehungaroundtheneck，andthefashionablecolorsbeinglightgreenandpink，atradercouldgetalmostanythinghechoseforbeadsofthesecolors。
Atourpublicreligiousservicesinthekotla，theMakololowomenalwaysbehavedwithdecorumfromthefirst，exceptattheconclusionoftheprayer。
Whenallkneltdown，manyofthosewhohadchildren，infollowingtheexampleoftherest，bentovertheirlittleones；thechildren，interrorofbeingcrushedtodeath，setupasimultaneousyell，whichsotickledthewholeassemblytherewasoftenasubduedtitter，tobeturnedintoaheartylaughassoonastheyheardAmen。
ThiswasnotsodifficulttoovercomeinthemassimilarpeccadilloeswereinthecaseofthewomenfarthersouthLongafterwehadsettledatMabotsa，whenpreachingonthemostsolemnsubjects，awomanmightbeobservedtolookround，and，seeinganeighborseatedonherdress，giveherahunchwiththeelbowtomakehermoveoff；theotherwouldreturnitwithinterest，andperhapstheremark，“Takethenastythingaway，willyou？”Thenthreeorfourwouldbegintohustlethefirstoffenders，andthementoswearatthemall，bywayofenforcingsilence。
Greatnumbersoflittletriflingthingsliketheseoccur，andwouldnotbeworththementionbutthatonecannotformacorrectideaofmissionaryworkexceptbyexaminationoftheminutiaeAttheriskofappearingfrivoloustosome，Ishallcontinuetodescendtomeretrifles。
Thenumberswhoattendedatthesummonsoftheherald，whoactedasbeadle，wereoftenfromfivetosevenhundredTheserviceconsistedofreadingasmallportionoftheBibleandgivinganexplanatoryaddress，usuallyshortenoughtopreventwearinessorwantofattention。
Solongaswecontinuetoholdservicesinthekotla，theassociationsoftheplaceareunfavorabletosolemnity；
henceitisalwaysdesirabletohaveaplaceofworshipassoonaspossible；
anditisofimportance，too，totreatsuchplacewithreverence，asanaidtosecurethatseriousattentionwhichreligioussubjectsdemand。
Thiswillappearmoreevidentwhenitisrecollectedthat，intheveryspotwherewehadbeenengagedinactsofdevotion，halfanhourafteradancewouldbegotup；andthesehabitscannotbeatfirstopposedwithouttheappearanceofassumingtoomuchauthorityoverthem。
Itisalwaysunwisetohurttheirfeelingsofindependence。
Muchgreaterinfluencewillbegainedbystudyinghowyoumayinducethemtoactaright，withtheimpressionthattheyaredoingitoftheirownfreewillOurserviceshavingnecessarilybeenallintheopenair，whereitismostdifficulttoaddresslargebodiesofpeople，preventedmyrecoveringsoentirelyfromtheeffectsofclergyman’ssorethroatasIexpected，whenmyuvulawasexcisedattheCape。
Togiveanideaoftheroutinefollowedformonthstogether，onotherdaysaswellasonSundays，Imayadverttomyhabitoftreatingthesickforcomplaintswhichseemedtosurmounttheskilloftheirowndoctors。
Irefrainedfromgoingtoanyoneunlesshisowndoctorwishedit，orhadgivenupthecaseThisledtomyhavingaselectionoftheseverercasesonly，andpreventedthedoctorsbeingoffendedatmytakingtheirpracticeoutoftheirhandsWhenattackedbyfevermyself，andwishingtoascertainwhattheirpracticeswere，Icouldsafelyintrustmyselfintheirhandsonaccountoftheirwell-knownfriendlyfeelings。
Theplanofshowingkindnesstothenativesintheirbodilyailmentssecurestheirfriendship；thisisnotthecasetothesamedegreeinoldmissions，wherethepeoplehavelearnedtolookuponreliefasarightastateofthingswhichsometimeshappensamongourselvesathomeMedicalaidisthereforemostvaluableinyoungmissions，thoughatallstagesitisanextremelyvaluableadjuncttootheroperations。
IproposedtoteachtheMakololotoread，but，forthereasonsmentioned，Sekeletuatfirstdeclined；aftersomeweeks，however，Motibe，hisfather-in-law，andsomeothers，determinedtobravethemysteriousbookToallwhohavenotacquiredit，theknowledgeoflettersisquiteunfathomable；thereisnaughtlikeitwithinthecompassoftheirobservation；andwehavenocomparisonwithanythingexceptpictures，toaidthemincomprehendingtheideaofsignsofwordsItseemstothemsupernaturalthatweseeinabookthingstakingplace，orhavingoccurredatadistance。
Noamountofexplanationconveystheideaunlesstheylearntoread。
Machineryisequallyinexplicable，andmoneynearlyasmuchsountiltheyseeitinactualuseTheyarefamiliarwithbarteralone；
andinthecentreofthecountry，wheregoldistotallyunknown，ifabuttonandsovereignwerelefttotheirchoice，theywouldprefertheformeronaccountofitshavinganeye。
Inbeginningtolearn，Motibeseemedtohimselfinthepositionofthedoctor，whowasobligedtodrinkhispotionbeforethepatient，toshowthatitcontainednothingdetrimental；afterhehadmasteredthealphabet，andreportedthethingsofarsafe，SekeletuandhisyoungcompanionscameforwardtotryforthemselvesHemusthaveresolvedtowatchtheeffectsofthebookagainsthisviewsonpolygamy，andabstainwheneverheperceivedanytendency，inreadingit，towardenforcinghimtoputhiswivesawayAnumberofmenlearnedthealphabetinashorttimeandweresettoteachothers，butbeforemuchprogresscouldbemadeIwasonmywaytoLoanda。
AsIhaddeclinedtonameanythingasapresentfromSekeletu，exceptacanoetotakemeuptheriver，hebroughttenfineelephants’tusksandlaidthemdownbesidemywagonHewouldtakenodenial，thoughItoldhimIshouldprefertoseehimtradingwithFleming，amanofcolorfromtheWestIndies，whohadcomeforthepurpose。