Sekeletu was on the right bank, near a number of temporary huts.A man hailed us from the chiefs quarters, and requested us to rest under the old Kotla, or public meeting-place tree.A young Makololo, with the large thighs which Zulus and most of this tribe have, crossed over to receive orders from the chief, who had not shown himself to the people since he was affected with leprosy.On returning he ran for Mokele, the headman of the new town, who, after going over to Sekeletu, came back and conducted us to a small but good hut, and afterwards brought us a fine fat ox, as a present from the chief."This is a time of hunger," he said, "and we have no meat, but we expect some soon from the Barotse Valley."We were entirely out of food when we reached Sesheke.Never was better meat than that of the ox Sekeletu sent, and infinitely above the flesh of all kinds of game is beef!
A constant stream of visitors rolled in on us the day after our arrival.Several of them, who had suffered affliction during the Doctor's absence, seemed to be much affected on seeing him again.
All were in low spirits.A severe drought had cut off the crops, and destroyed the pasture of Linyanti, and the people were scattered over the country in search of wild fruits, and the hospitality of those whose ground-nuts (Arachis hypogoea) had not failed.Sekeletu's leprosy brought troops of evils in its train.Believing himself bewitched, he had suspected a number of his chief men, and had put some, with their families, to death; others had fled to distant tribes, and were living in exile.The chief had shut himself up, and allowed no one to come into his presence but his uncle Mamire.
Ponwane, who had been as "head and eyes" to him, had just died;
Evidence, he thought, of the potent spells of those who hated all who loved the chief.The country was suffering grievously, and Sebituane's grand empire was crumbling to pieces.A large body of young Barotse had revolted and fled to the north; killing a man by the way, in order to put a blood-feud between Masiko, the chief to whom they were going, and Sekeletu.The Batoka under Sinamane, and Muemba, were independent, and Mashotlane at the Falls was setting Sekeletu's authority virtually at defiance.Sebituane's wise policy in treating the conquered tribes on equal terms with his own Makololo, as all children of the chief, and equally eligible to the highest honours, had been abandoned by his son, who married none but Makololo women, and appointed to office none but Makololo men.He had become unpopular among the black tribes, conquered by the spear but more effectually won by the subsequent wise and just government of his father.
Strange rumours were afloat respecting the unseen Sekeletu; his fingers were said to have grown like eagle's claws, and his face so frightfully distorted that no one could recognize him.Some had begun to hint that he might not really be the son of the great Sebituane, the founder of the nation, strong in battle, and wise in the affairs of state."In the days of the Great Lion" (Sebituane), said his only sister, Moriantsiane's widow, whose husband Sekeletu had killed, "we had chiefs and little chiefs and elders to carry on the government, and the great chief, Sebituane, knew them all, and everything they did, and the whole country was wisely ruled; but now Sekeletu knows nothing of what his underlings do, and they care not for him, and the Makololo power is fast passing away." {3}The native doctors had given the case of Sekeletu up.They could not cure him, and pronounced the disease incurable.An old doctress from the Manyeti tribe had come to see what she could do for him, and on her skill he now hung his last hopes.She allowed no one to see him, except his mother and uncle, making entire seclusion from society an essential condition of the much longed-for cure.He sent, notwithstanding, for the Doctor; and on the following day we all three were permitted to see him.He was sitting in a covered wagon, which was enclosed by a high wall of close-set reeds; his face was only slightly disfigured by the thickening of the skin in parts, where the leprosy had passed over it; and the only peculiarity about his hands was the extreme length of his finger-nails, which, however, was nothing very much out of the way, as all the Makololo gentlemen wear them uncommonly long.He has the quiet, unassuming manners of his father, Sebituane, speaks distinctly, in a low pleasant voice, and appears to be a sensible man, except perhaps on the subject of his having been bewitched; and in this, when alluded to, he exhibits as firm a belief as if it were his monomania."Moriantsiane, my aunt's husband, tried the bewitching medicine first on his wife, and she is leprous, and so is her head-servant; then, seeing that it succeeded, he gave me a stronger dose in the cooked flesh of a goat, and I have had the disease ever since.They have lately killed Ponwane, and, as you see, are now killing me."Ponwane had died of fever a short time previously.Sekeletu asked us for medicine and medical attendance, but we did not like to take the case out of the hands of the female physician already employed, it being bad policy to appear to undervalue any of the profession; and she, being anxious to go on with her remedies, said "she had not given him up yet, but would try for another month; if he was not cured by that time, then she would hand him over to the white doctors."But we intended to leave the country before a month was up; so Mamire, with others, induced the old lady to suspend her treatment for a little.She remained, as the doctors stipulated, in the chief's establishment, and on full pay.
