"
While Kolobeng was Livingstone's headquarters, a new trouble rose upon
the mission horizon. The Makololo (as Sebituane's people were called)
began to practice the slave-trade. It arose simply from their desire to
possess guns. For eight old muskets they had given to a neighboring
tribe eight boys, that had been taken from their enemies in war, being
the only article for which the guns could be got. Soon after, in a fray
against another tribe, two hundred captives were taken, and, on
returning, the Makololo met some Arab traders from Zanzibar, who for
three muskets received about thirty of their captives.
Another of the master ideas of his life now began to take hold upon
Livingstone. Africa was exposed to a terrible evil through the desire of
the natives to possess articles of European manufacture, and their
readiness for this purpose to engage in the slave-trade. Though no
African had ever been known to sell his own children into captivity, the
tribes were ready enough to sell other children that had fallen into
their hands by war or otherwise.
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