considered as part of the plunder of those travellers, a man afterwards
brought me, and it was the only article which could be found,
a piece, of about two feet long, of a red sash, such as is usually
worn by military officers; asserting, at the same time, that it had
been procured from the people of Melitta. But as I had already
been assured, on the authority of a person who was present on the
occasion, that this sash was given to Mulihaban by Captain Donnovan,
the bringing of it forward now, as a proof of the alleged murder,
served only to confirm my suspicions that the whole tale was a base
fabrication, and a proof of nothing more than the falsehood and dishonorable
motives of those who invented it.
As soon as this examination was finished, I informed Mattivi,
that, as all our provisions were now exhausted and we found great
difficulty in procuring game in the vicinity of the town, I intended
to make a hunting excursion at a distance in the country, and expected
to be absent from Litakun about a fortnight or three weeks.
I therefore requested him to make known to all his people, that,
as the Batammakas were now in the land with hostile views, and as
we, not being able at a distance to distinguish this tribe from the
Bachapins, should consider any party of men approaching us under suspicious
appearances, to be a detachment from the enemy, and should
fire upon them accordingly, the Bachapins, whom we regarded as our
friends and whom we should always be glad to see at any station
where we might happen to be, must be careful not to visit us in large
bodies, lest we should unfortunately mistake them for the enemy.
To this request he replied, that he would • give his people the
necessary caution.
It being now publicly known that I was on the point of quitting
Litakun, the inhabitants, and more especially the chieftains, were
most importunate for tobacco. They pressed around me and climbed
into the waggon in so intruding a manner, that I was obliged to defer
my meal till I should have left the town; as they were determined,
for the last day, to push their beggings to that extremity at which
they began to assume almost the appearance of demands, in order to
profit by the only opportunity remaining: and in the early part of
the morning, some of the natives stole from the hut a few trifling
things belonging to the Hottentots.
Serrakutu now became very troublesome by his request for
beads; and seemed as though he would not hear a denial: but when
I offered him tobacco on condition of his sitting for his portrait, he
soon afterwards left me, although he had given his consent' to be
drawn.
The Chief’s wife Kibbukiili, the mother of Massisan. had, in consequence
of my having a few days before promised to 8 put her in the
book,’ dressed herself in her best Nuakketsi hat *, to set herself off,
as she supposed, to the greatest advantage, and give her an air of
importance becoming so great a personage. She had been waiting
in the mootsi the greater part of the morning ; but I had been too
much engaged to attend to her, till, seeing me preparing for departure,
she desired Muchunka to remind me of my promise. As I succeeded
in obtaining as good a likeness of her, as I had of Mollemmi, I was
rewarded in the same manner with the approbation of the bystanders ;
who now seemed to think that for this approbation they were entitled
to some muchuko.
A kosi brought an ox which he offered me for sale; and as he
appeared extremely desirous of exchanging it for beads, I allowed
myself to treat with him, in order to avoid giving offence: although,
in consequence of the disputes which had always arisen from those
transactions, I had resolved to have here no further dealings of this
nature. Wishing to conclude the bargain at once without dispute,
and by extraordinary liberality to prevent all disagreement on his
part, I showed him in payment a quantity of beads, which was twice
* Of this hat, a representation will be found at the end of the chapter. It was said
to be a manufacture of the tribe above-mentioned; and is made, apparently, of some
species of rush. (Vol.i. p. 263.) The manner in which it is wove together is die same as
that which is practised by the Caflres Proper, in the making of their milk-baskets. (Vol. i.
p. 269.) It is held fast upon the head by a thong of leather passing under the chin.
Among the Bachapins, this hat is not often seen; and, being of foreign workmanship, it
is considered as too expensive an article of dress for general use.