I WILL NOT
HAVE DRINK IN THIS TOWN. If you must have it you must go."
_The Fight with the White Man's "Fire-water"_
Khama had conquered for the moment. But white men, Englishmen, came
to the town. They set up stores. And in the stores they began to sell
brandy from large casks.
The drinking of spirits has more terrible effects on the African than
even on white men. Once he starts drinking, the African cannot
stop and is turned into a sot. The ships of the white man have been
responsible to a terrible extent for sending out the "fire-water" to
Africa.
Khama called the white traders in the tribe together.
"It is my desire," he said, "that no strong drink shall be sold in my
town."
"We will not bring the great casks of brandy," they replied, "but
we hope you will allow us to have cases of bottles as they are for
medicine."
"I consent," said Khama, "but there must be no drunkenness."
"Certainly," the white men replied, "there shall be no drunkenness."
In a few days one of the white traders had locked himself into his
house in drunken delirium, naked and raving. Morning after morning
Khama rose before daybreak to try and get to the man when he was
sober, but all the time he was drunk. Then one morning this man
gathered other white men together in a house and they sat drinking and
then started fighting one another.
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