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。