THE NGWATO OF BECHUANALAND PROTECTORATE 77
work. Foremost among them were the batlhanka (common headmen) whom, as already noted, he put in charge of his cattle and other servants. The latter were drawn mainly from the ranks of the Kgalagadi and especially the Sarwa, who occupied the position of serfs. At first they merely hunted for him, the skins and other spoils they gave him forming an important part of .his income; but under Kgama they were gradually taught to herd cattle also and to carry out menial household tasks.
Owing to the wealth he thus accumulated, the chief was always the richest man in the tribe. He was, however, expected to use his property, not only for his own benefit, but also for the tribe as a whole. He had to provide beer and meat for people visiting him, assisting at his kgotla, or summoned to work for him; reward with gifts of cattle and other valuables the services of his advisers, headmen, warriors and retainers; and, in times of famine, supply the tribe with food. 'Kgosi ke mosadi wa morafe*, it was said ('The chief is the wife of the tribe', i.e. he provided the people with sustenance). One quality always required of him was generosity, and much of his popularity depended upon the manner in which he displayed it. Kgama is still gratefully remembered as an extremely liberal chief, who not only imported corn for his people in times of scarcity—on one occasion to the value of between £2,000 and £3,000—-but also bought many wagons, ploughs, guns, and horses, which he distributed among them, while in several instances he paid large sums of money to free some of them from debt.
In this connexion, the relationship between the chief and his batlhanka deserves special mention. These men, as we have seen, were placed as common headmen in charge of the chief's cattle-posts. The cattle entrusted to them were the hereditary property of the chieftainship, so that the batlhanka were always attached to the ruling chief himself. Each motUianka was required to provide the chief's household with milk and meat from the cattle under his care, and to come with his followers to perform such other work as might be demanded of him. In return, he could use the cattle as he pleased: he kept the rest of their milk, slaughtered a beast whenever he wished, paid bogadi (bride-wealth) for his sons out of them, and exchanged them for other commodities, while on his death they passed to his children. He was also given the Sarwa inhabiting the region where the cattle grazed, and kept most of their hunting tribute for himself. The chief, however, had the