LORD CLARENDON'S LETTER TO SEKELETU.
From THE EARL OF CLARENDON, Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Her Majesty, the Queen of Great Britain, to our esteemed Friend SEKELETU, Chief of the Makololo, in South Central Africa.
The Queen our Sovereign and the British Government have learned with much pleasure from her Majesty's servant, Dr. Livingstone, the kind manner in which you co-operated with him in his endeavors to find a path from your country to the sea on the West Coast, and again, when he was following the course of the river Zambesi from your town to the Eastern Coast, by furnishing him on each occasion with canoes, provisions, oxen, and men, free of expense; and we were pleased to hear that you, your elders and people, are all anxious to have direct intercourse with the English nation, and to have your country open to commerce and civilization.
Ours is a great commercial and Christian nation, and we desire to live in peace with all men. We wish others to sleep soundly as well as ourselves; and we hate the trade in slaves. We are all the children of one common Father; and the slave-trade being hateful to Him, we give you a proof of our desire to promote your prosperity by joining you in the attempt to open up your country to peaceful commerce. With this view the Queen sends a small steam-vessel to sail along the river Zambesi, which you know and agreed to be the best pathway for conveying merchandise, and for the purpose of exploring which Dr. Livingstone left you the last time. This is, as all men know, "God's pathway;" and you will, we trust, do all that you can to keep it a free pathway for all nations, and let no one be molested when traveling on the river.
We are a manufacturing people, and make all the articles which you see and hear of as coming from the white men. We purchase cotton and make it into cloth; and if you will cultivate cotton and other articles, we are willing to buy them. No matter how much you may produce, our people will purchase it all. Let it be known among all your people, and among all the surrounding tribes, that the English are the friends and promoters of all lawful commerce, but that they are the enemies of the slave-trade and slave-hunting.
We assure you, your elders and people, of our friendship, and we hope that the kindly feelings which you entertain toward the English may be continued between our children's children; and, as we have derived all our greatness from the Divine religion we received from Heaven, it will be well if you consider it carefully when any of our people talk to you about it.
We hope that Her Majesty's servants and people will be able to visit you from time to time in order to cement our friendship, and to promote mutual welfare; and, in the meantime, we recommend you to the protection of the Almighty.
Written at London, the nineteenth day of February, 1858. Your affectionate friend, CLARENDON.
Letters similar to the above were sent to many of the other chiefs known to Livingstone.