After a painful night in an encampment a few miles to the east of Katonga, I was put on board again and carried on to Sesheke. I was conveyed by the boatmen to Westbeech’s hut. He did not recognize me.
CHAPTER XI.
BACK AGAIN IN SESHEKE.
Visits of condolence—Unpopularity of Sepopo—Mosquitoes—Goose-hunting—Court ceremonial at meals—Modes of fishing—Sepopo’s illness—Vassal tribes of the Marutse empire—Characteristics of the Marutse tribes—The future of the country.
OTTER-SHOOTING ON THE CHOBE.
For a time I continued to indulge the hope that I should have to remain at Sesheke only for a short period, and that I should soon be convalescent and able to start afresh upon the journey I had been compelled to give up. But I grew worse instead of better, and as the unhealthy season was now coming on, both Westbeech and Sepopo advised me to leave the Marutse district altogether, to return to the south, and not to resume my travels until my health was completely restored. To me, however, this suggestion looked tantamount to a proposal to postpone my project indefinitely, and I was loth to acquiesce.
I received visits, not only from the king, but from a number of the chiefs with whom I had made acquaintance, and while they all expressed their sympathy with me in my illness, they declared they had foreseen it. It was their unanimous opinion that I had stayed too long in Sesheke, the king himself reprimanding me for having taken my trip to the Victoria Falls and losing my chance of starting earlier, although every one knew that the blame rested entirely with himself, and that he had detained me from October to December, and even then had furnished me with boats only at Moquai’s solicitation.
Since my departure the hut that I had occupied had been appropriated to another purpose, but Westbeech kindly found me accommodation at his store.
Sepopo’s unpopularity was very much on the increase. Inkambella, the great chief whom I mentioned as passing as I lay at the Nambwe cataract, had been on his way to Sesheke to pay homage to the king, but the reverence and affection with which he was regarded made him an object of aversion to Sepopo, who would willingly have disposed of him. No one, however, could be found to assassinate him, and the only resource was to have him accused of high treason, the other Barotse chiefs being included in the charge; they were, however, all adjudged not guilty. Westbeech and Jan Mahura were present at the trial, and, as an instance of how Sepopo’s authority was on the wane, they told me that Mahura had plainly called him a fool, and denounced him as the greatest traitor in the country.
When Sepopo next visited me he was indulging in the excitement of the mokoro-dance, and was attended by a large court retinue. He was in a patronizing mood, and made a great fuss with me, calling me his mulekow; but when Inkambella arrived shortly afterwards, he moved off at once to Westbeech’s quarters.