Of these natives the chief tribes are, first, the Barotse themselves, who are the most numerous, and who inhabit the low-lying country along the Zambesi Valley north of Sesheke, and up to Lia-Lui, their capital.

The second in importance are the Mushukulumbwe, which, translated literally, means “naked people.”  This designation was given them as a reproach by their friends, as the male element wear no clothes; and should they possess a blanket, they would only throw it round their shoulders whilst standing still or sitting down.  When remonstrated with by the well-meaning missionaries on the absence of any attire, they are wont to reply:  “Are we women or children, that we should fear the cold?  Our fathers needed no clothes, nor do we.”  They are keen hunters and trackers, essentially a warlike people, tall and good-looking, while the women also are of more than average height, and gracefully made.  What the men lack in clothes they make up for in their head-dress, which has been so often illustrated, and which is sometimes 5 feet in height.  It is the result of much care and trouble, and the cause of great pride to the wearer.  Ruled over by a number of small chiefs, they mostly own Lewanika as their paramount chief, and to him they pay tribute.  They are withal a curious, wild kind of people, but are now becoming less afraid of, and in consequence less hostile to, the white man, the first of whose race they saw in 1888, when Mr. Selous[48] penetrated into their country, and very nearly lost his life at their hands.  Now they are well-disposed, and it is safe to travel through their land with a comparatively small escort.

Thirdly, the Batokas.  These are, and always have been, a servile race.  They are lazy in disposition, for the most part of unprepossessing appearance, and their country has the Kafue River on the east, and the Zambesi on the south, as natural boundaries.  As carriers they do fairly well, and, while also owning Lewanika’s authority, they are well aware of the fact that this chief only rules in virtue of the support of the “Great King” in a far-off land, whom they often hear of, but can never hope to see.

In consequence of having lived for so many generations in terror of being raided by their more bellicose neighbours, all these tribes acclaimed with joy the advent of their English protectors, and their demeanour is strikingly expressive of gratitude and respect.  This is evinced by their native greeting, which consists of sitting down and clapping their hands together in a slow rhythm whenever a white man passes.  Sometimes a traveller hears this clapping proceeding out of the immensely high and thick grass which encloses the road, and he is by this sound alone made aware of the presence of a human being.  Their food consists entirely of grain, which they greatly prefer to meat, even when this is offered to them.  They boil this grain, which resembles millet or canary seed, into a sort of porridge, which they eat with the greatest gusto, and one meal a day seems to suffice them.