isletsinmarshesandriversareitsfavoritehaunts，anditisquiteunknownexceptinthecentralhumidbasinofAfricaHavingagooddealofcuriosity，itpresentsanobleappearanceasitstandsgazing，withheaderect，attheapproachingstrangerWhenitresolvestodecamp，itlowersitshead，andlaysitshornsdowntoalevelwiththewithers；itthenbeginswithawaddlingtrot，whichendsinitsgallopingandspringingoverbusheslikethepallahsItinvariablyrunstothewater，andcrossesitbyasuccessionofbounds，eachofwhichappearstobefromthebottom。
　　Wethoughtthefleshgoodatfirst，butsoongottiredofit。
　　Greatshoalsofexcellentfishcomedownannuallywiththeaccessofwaters。
　　Themullet`MugilAfricanus’isthemostabundantTheyarecaughtinnets。
　　The`Glanissiluris’，alarge，broad-headedfish，withoutscales，andbarbedcalledbythenatives“mosala“attainsanenormoussizeandfatness。
　　TheyarecaughtsolargethatwhenamancarriesoneoverhisshoulderthetailreachesthegroundItisavegetablefeeder，andinmanyofitshabitsresemblestheeelLikemostlophoidfishes，ithasthepowerofretainingalargequantityofwaterinapartofitsgreathead，sothatitcanleavetheriver，andevenbeburiedinthemudofdried-uppools，withoutbeingdestroyed。
　　Anotherfishcloselyresemblingthis，andnamed`Clariascapensis’
　　byDrSmith，iswidelydiffusedthroughouttheinterior，andoftenleavestheriversforthesakeoffeedinginpools。
　　Asthesedryup，largenumbersofthemareentrappedbythepeople。
　　Awater-snake，yellow-spottedanddarkbrown，isoftenseenswimmingalongwithitsheadabovethewater：itisquiteharmless，andisrelishedasfoodbytheBayeiye。
　　Theymentiontenkindsoffishintheirriver；and，intheirsongsofpraisetotheZouga，say，“Themessengersentinhasteisalwaysforcedtospendthenightonthewaybytheabundanceoffoodyouplacebeforehim。”
　　TheBayeiyelivemuchonfish，whichisquiteanabominationtotheBechuanasofthesouth；andtheycatchtheminlargenumbersbymeansofnetsmadeofthefine，strongfibresofthehibiscus，whichgrowsabundantlyinallmoistplacesTheirfloat-ropesaremadeoftheife，or，asitisnowcalled，the`SanseviereAngolensis’，aflag-lookingplant，havingaverystrongfibre，thataboundsfromKolobengtoAngola；andthefloatsthemselvesarepiecesofawater-plantcontainingvalvesateachjoint，whichretaintheairincellsaboutaninchlongThemodeofknottingthenetsisidenticalwithourown。
　　Theyalsospearthefishwithjavelinshavingalighthandle，whichreadilyfloatsonthesurfaceTheyshowgreatdexterityinharpooningthehippopotamus；and，thebarbedbladeofthespearbeingattachedtoaropemadeoftheyoungleavesofthepalmyra，theanimalcannotridhimselfofthecanoe，attachedtohiminwhalefashion，exceptbysmashingit，whichhenotunfrequentlydoesbyhisteethorbyastrokeofhishindfoot。
　　OnreturningtotheBakurutse，wefoundthattheircanoesforfishingweresimplylargebundlesofreedstiedtogetherSuchacanoewouldbeareadyextemporaneouspontoonforcrossinganyriverthathadreedybanks。
　　Chapter4。
　　LeaveKolobengagainfortheCountryofSebituaneReachtheZouga
　　TheTsetseAPartyofEnglishmenDeathofMrRider
　　ObtainGuidesChildrenfallsickwithFeverRelinquishtheAttempttoreachSebituaneMrOswell’sElephant-hunting
　　ReturntoKolobengMakeathirdStartthence
　　ReachNchokotsaSalt-pans“Links“，orSpringsBushmen
　　OurGuideShoboTheBanajoaAnuglyChiefTheTsetse
　　BitefataltodomesticAnimals，butharmlesstowildAnimalsandMan
　　OperationofthePoisonLossescausedbyitTheMakololo
　　OurMeetingwithSebituaneSketchofhisCareer
　　HisCourageandConquestsManoeuvresoftheBatokaHeoutwitsthemHisWarswiththeMatebelePredictionsofanativeProphet
　　SuccessesoftheMakololoRenewedAttacksoftheMatebele
　　TheIslandofLoyeloDefeatoftheMatebeleSebituane’sPolicy
　　HisKindnesstoStrangersandtothePoorHissuddenIllnessandDeath
　　SucceededbyhisDaughterHerFriendlinesstousDiscovery，inJune，1851，oftheZambesiflowingintheCentreoftheContinent
　　ItsSizeTheMambariTheSlave-tradeDeterminetosendFamilytoEnglandReturntotheCapeinApril，1852SafeTransitthroughtheCaffreCountryduringHostilitiesNeedofa“SpecialCorrespondent“
　　KindnessoftheLondonMissionarySocietyAssistanceaffordedbytheAstronomerRoyalattheCape。
　　HavingreturnedtoKolobeng，IremainedtheretillApril，1850，andthenleftincompanywithMrsLivingstone，ourthreechildren，andthechiefSechelewhohadnowboughtawagonofhisown
　　inordertogoacrosstheZougaatitslowerend，withtheintentionofproceedingupthenorthernbanktillwegainedtheTamunak’le，andofthenascendingthatrivertovisitSebituaneinthenorth。
　　SekomihadgivenorderstofillupthewellswhichwehaddugwithsomuchlaboratSerotli，sowetookthemoreeasternroutethroughtheBamangwatotownandbyLetlocheThatchiefaskedwhyIhadavoidedhiminourformerjourneysIrepliedthatmyreasonwasthatIknewhedidnotwishmetogotothelake，andIdidnotwanttoquarrelwithhim“Well。”hesaid，“youbeatmethen，andIamcontent。”
　　PartingwithSecheleattheford，ashewaseagertovisitLechulatebe，wewentalongthenorthernwoodybankoftheZougawithgreatlabor，havingtocutdownverymanytreestoallowthewagonstopass。
　　Ourlossesbyoxenfallingintopitfallswereveryheavy。
　　TheBayeiyekindlyopenedthepitswhentheyknewofourapproach；
　　butwhenthatwasnotthecase，wecouldblamenooneonfindinganestablishedcustomofthecountryinimicaltoourinterests。
　　OnapproachingtheconfluenceoftheTamunak’lewewereinformedthattheflycalledtsetse*aboundedonitsbanksThiswasabarrierweneverexpectedtomeet；and，asitmighthavebroughtourwagonstoacompletestand-stillinawilderness，wherenosuppliesforthechildrencouldbeobtained，wewerereluctantlycompelledtorecrosstheZouga。
　　*`Glossinamorsitans’，thefirstspecimensofwhichwerebroughttoEnglandin1848bymyfriendMajorVardon，fromthebanksoftheLimpopo。
　　FromtheBayeiyewelearnedthatapartyofEnglishmen，whohadcometothelakeinsearchofivory，werealllaidlowbyfever，sowetraveledhastilydownaboutsixtymilestorenderwhataidwasinourpowerWeweregrievedtofind，aswecamenear，thatMrAlfredRider，anenterprisingyoungartistwhohadcometomakesketchesofthiscountryandofthelakeimmediatelyafteritsdiscovery，haddiedoffeverbeforeourarrival；butbytheaidofmedicinesandsuchcomfortsascouldbemadebytheonlyEnglishladywhoevervisitedthelake，theothershappilyrecovered。
　　TheunfinisheddrawingofLakeNgamiwasmadebyMrRiderjustbeforehisdeath，andhasbeenkindlylentforthisworkbyhisbereavedmother。
　　SecheleusedallhispowersofeloquencewithLechulatebetoinducehimtofurnishguidesthatImightbeabletovisitSebituaneonox-back，whileMrsLivingstoneandthechildrenremainedatLakeNgami。
　　HeyieldedatlastIhadaverysuperiorLondon-madegun，thegiftofLieutenantArkwright，onwhichIplacedthegreatestvalue，bothonaccountofthedonorandtheimpossibilityofmyreplacingit。
　　Lechulatebefellviolentlyinlovewithit，andofferedwhatevernumberofelephants’tusksImightaskforit。
　　ItoowasenamoredwithSebituane；andashepromisedinadditionthathewouldfurnishMrsLivingstonewithmeatallthetimeofmyabsence，hisargumentsmademepartwiththegunThoughhehadnoivoryatthetimetopayme，Ifeltthepiecewouldbewellspentonthoseterms，anddeliveredittohimAllbeingreadyforourdeparture，ItookMrsLivingstoneaboutsixmilesfromthetown，thatshemighthaveapeepatthebroadpartofthelakeNextmorningwehadotherworktodothanpart，forourlittleboyandgirlwereseizedwithfever。
　　Onthedayfollowing，allourservantsweredowntoowiththesamecomplaint。
　　Asnothingisbetterinthesecasesthanchangeofplace，IwasforcedtogiveupthehopeofseeingSebituanethatyear；
　　so，leavingmygunaspartpaymentforguidesnextyear，westartedforthepureairoftheDesert。
　　SomemistakehadhappenedinthearrangementwithMrOswell，forwemethimontheZougaonourreturn，andhedevotedtherestofthisseasontoelephant-hunting，atwhichthenativesuniversallydeclareheisthegreatestadeptthatevercameintothecountry。
　　HehuntedwithoutdogsItisremarkablethatthislordlyanimalissocompletelyharassedbythepresenceofafewyelpingcursastobequiteincapableofattendingtomanHemakesawkwardattemptstocrushthembyfallingonhisknees；andsometimesplaceshisforeheadagainstatreeteninchesindiameter；glancingononesideofthetreeandthenontheother，hepushesitdownbeforehim，asifhethoughttherebytocatchhisenemiesTheonlydangerthehuntsmanhastoapprehendisthedogsrunningtowardhim，andtherebyleadingtheelephanttotheirmaster。
　　MrOswellhasbeenknowntokillfourlargeoldmaleelephantsaday。
　　Thevalueoftheivoryinthesecaseswouldbeonehundredguineas。
　　Wehadreasontobeproudofhissuccess，fortheinhabitantsconceivedfromitaveryhighideaofEnglishcourage；
　　andwhentheywishedtoflattermewouldsay，“IfyouwerenotamissionaryyouwouldjustbelikeOswell；youwouldnothuntwithdogseither。”
　　When，in1852，wecametotheCape，myblackcoatelevenyearsoutoffashion，andwithoutapennyofsalarytodraw，wefoundthatMrOswellhadmostgenerouslyorderedanoutfitforthehalf-nakedchildren，whichcostabout200Pounds，andpresentedittous，sayinghethoughtMrsLivingstonehadarighttothegameofherownpreserves。
　　FoiledinthissecondattempttoreachSebituane，wereturnedagaintoKolobeng，whitherweweresoonfollowedbyanumberofmessengersfromthatchiefhimselfWhenheheardofourattemptstovisithim，hedispatchedthreedetachmentsofhismenwiththirteenbrowncowstoLechulatebe，thirteenwhitecowstoSekomi，andthirteenblackcowstoSechele，witharequesttoeachtoassistthewhitementoreachhim。
　　Theirpolicy，however，wastokeephimoutofview，andactashisagentsinpurchasingwithhisivorythegoodshewantedThisisthoroughlyAfrican；
　　andthatcontinentbeingwithoutfrithsandarmsofthesea，thetribesinthecentrehavealwaysbeendebarredfromEuropeanintercoursebyitsuniversalprevalenceamongallthepeoplearoundthecoasts。
　　BeforesettingoutonourthirdjourneytoSebituane，itwasnecessarytovisitKuruman；andSechele，eager，forthesakeofthecommissionthereon，togettheivoryofthatchiefintohisownhands，allowedallthemessengerstoleavebeforeourreturnSekomi，however，wasmorethanusuallygracious，andevenfurnisheduswithaguide，butnooneknewthepathbeyondNchokotsawhichweintendedtofollowWhenwereachedthatpoint，wefoundthatthemainspringofthegunofanotherofhismen，whowaswellacquaintedwiththeBushmen，throughwhosecountryweshouldpass，hadopportunelybrokenIneverundertooktomendagunwithgreaterzestthanthis；for，underpromiseofhisguidance，wewenttothenorthinsteadofwestwardAlltheotherguidesweremostliberallyrewardedbyMrOswell。
　　Wepassedquicklyoverahardcountry，whichisperfectlyflatAlittlesoillyingoncalcareoustufa，overatractofseveralhundredsofmiles，supportsavegetationoffinesweetshortgrass，andmopaneandbaobabtrees。
　　Onseveralpartsofthiswefoundlargesalt-pans，oneofwhich，Ntwetwe，isfifteenmilesbroadandonehundredlong。
　　Thelatitudemighthavebeentakenonitshorizonaswellasuponthesea。
　　Althoughthesecuriousspotsseemperfectlylevel，allthoseinthisdirectionhaveagentleslopetothenortheast：thithertherain-water，whichsometimescoversthem，gentlygravitatesThis，itmayberecollected，isthedirectionoftheZougaThesaltdissolvedinthewaterhasbythismeansallbeentransferredtoonepaninthatdirection，namedChuantsa；onitweseeacakeofsaltandlimeaninchandahalfthick。
　　Alltheothershaveanefflorescenceoflimeandoneofthenitratesonly，andsomearecoveredthicklywithshellsTheseshellsareidenticalwiththoseofthemolluscaofLakeNgamiandtheZouga。