Therearethreevarieties,spiral,univalve,andbivalve。
Ineverysalt-paninthecountrythereisaspringofwaterononeside。
IcanremembernoexceptiontothisruleThewaterofthesespringsisbrackish,andcontainsthenitrateofsodaInoneinstancetherearetwosprings,andonemoresaltishthantheother。
Ifthissupplycamefrombedsofrocksaltthewaterwouldnotbedrinkable,asitgenerallyis,andinsomeinstances,wherethesaltcontainedinthepaninwhichthesespringsappearhasbeenremovedbyhumanagency,nofreshdepositoccursItisthereforeprobablethatthesedepositsofsaltaretheremainsoftheveryslightlybrackishlakesofantiquity,largeportionsofwhichmusthavebeendriedoutinthegeneraldesiccation。
WeseeaninstanceinLakeNgami,which,whenlow,becomesbrackish,andthisviewseemssupportedbythefactthatthelargestquantitiesofsalthavebeenfoundinthedeepesthollowsorlowestvalleys,whichhavenooutletoroutgoinggorge;andafountain,aboutthirtymilessouthoftheBamangwatothetemperatureofwhichisupwardof100Degwhilestronglyimpregnatedwithpuresalt,beingonaflatpartofthecountry,isaccompaniedbynodeposit。
Whenthesedepositsoccurinaflattufaceouscountrylikethepresent,alargespaceisdevoidofvegetation,onaccountofthenitratesdissolvingthetufa,andkeepingitinastateunfavorabletothegrowthofplants。
WefoundagreatnumberofwellsinthistufaAplacecalledMatlomagan-yana,orthe“Links“,isquiteachainofthesenever-failingspringsAstheyoccasionallybecomefullinseasonswhennorainfalls,andresemblesomewhatinthisrespecttheriverswehavealreadymentioned,itisprobabletheyreceivesomewaterbypercolationfromtheriversysteminthecountrybeyondAmongtheselinkswefoundmanyfamiliesofBushmen;and,unlikethoseontheplainsoftheKalahari,whoaregenerallyofshortstatureandlightyellowcolor,theseweretall,strappingfellows,ofdarkcomplexionHeatalonedoesnotproduceblacknessofskin,butheatwithmoistureseemstoinsurethedeepesthue。
OneoftheseBushmen,namedShobo,consentedtobeourguideoverthewastebetweenthesespringsandthecountryofSebituane。
ShobogaveusnohopeofwaterinlessthanamonthProvidentially,however,wecamesoonerthanweexpectedtosomesuppliesofrain-waterinachainofpoolsItisimpossibletoconveyanideaofthedrearysceneonwhichweenteredafterleavingthisspot:theonlyvegetationwasalowscrubindeepsand;notabirdorinsectenlivenedthelandscape。
Itwas,withoutexception,themostuninvitingprospectIeverbeheld;
and,tomakemattersworse,ourguideShobowanderedonthesecondday。
Wecoaxedhimonatnight,buthewenttoallpointsofthecompassonthetrailsofelephantswhichhadbeenhereintherainyseason,andthenwouldsitdowninthepath,andinhisbrokenSichuanasay,“Nowater,allcountryonly;Shobosleeps;hebreaksdown;countryonly;“
andthencoollycurlhimselfupandgotosleepTheoxenwereterriblyfatiguedandthirsty;andonthemorningofthefourthday,Shobo,afterprofessingignoranceofeverything,vanishedaltogether。
Wewentoninthedirectioninwhichwelastsawhim,andabouteleveno’clockbegantoseebirds;thenthetrailofarhinoceros。
Atthisweunyokedtheoxen,andthey,apparentlyknowingthesign,rushedalongtofindthewaterintheRiverMahabe,whichcomesfromtheTamunak’le,andlaytothewestofusThesupplyofwaterinthewagonshadbeenwastedbyoneofourservants,andbytheafternoononlyasmallportionremainedforthechildrenThiswasabitterlyanxiousnight;
andnextmorningthelesstherewasofwater,themorethirstythelittleroguesbecameTheideaoftheirperishingbeforeoureyeswasterribleItwouldalmosthavebeenarelieftometohavebeenreproachedwithbeingtheentirecauseofthecatastrophe;
butnotonesyllableofupbraidingwasutteredbytheirmother,thoughthetearfuleyetoldtheagonywithinIntheafternoonofthefifthday,toourinexpressiblerelief,someofthemenreturnedwithasupplyofthatfluidofwhichwehadneverbeforefeltthetruevalue。
Thecattle,inrushingalongtothewaterintheMahabe,probablycrossedasmallpatchoftreescontainingtsetse,aninsectwhichwasshortlytobecomeaperfectpesttous。
ShobohadfoundhiswaytotheBayeiye,andappeared,whenwecameuptotheriver,attheheadofaparty;and,ashewishedtoshowhisimportancebeforehisfriends,hewalkedupboldlyandcommandedourwholecavalcadetostop,andtobringforthfireandtobacco,whilehecoollysatdownandsmokedhispipe。
Itwassuchaninimitablynaturalwayofshowingoff,thatweallstoppedtoadmiretheacting,and,thoughhehadleftuspreviouslyinthelurch,wealllikedShobo,afinespecimenofthatwonderfulpeople,theBushmen。
NextdaywecametoavillageofBanajoa,atribewhichextendsfartotheeastwardTheywerelivingonthebordersofamarshinwhichtheMahabeterminatesTheyhadlosttheircropofcorn`Holcussorghum’,andnowsubsistedalmostentirelyontherootcalled“tsitla“,akindofaroidoea,whichcontainsaverylargequantityofsweet-tastedstarchWhendried,poundedintomeal,andallowedtoferment,itformsanotunpleasantarticleoffoodThewomenshaveallthehairofftheirheads,andseemdarkerthantheBechuanasTheirhutswerebuiltonpoles,andafireismadebeneathbynight,inorderthatthesmokemaydriveawaythemosquitoes,whichaboundontheMababeandTamunak’lemorethaninanyotherpartofthecountryTheheadmanofthisvillage,Majane,seemedalittlewantinginability,buthadhadwitenoughtopromoteayoungermemberofthefamilytotheofficeThisperson,themostliketheuglynegroofthetobacconists’shopsIeversaw,wascalledMoroaMajane,orsonofMajane,andprovedanactiveguideacrosstheRiverSonta,andtothebanksoftheChobe,inthecountryofSebituaneWehadcomethroughanothertsetsedistrictbynight,andatoncepassedourcattleovertothenorthernbanktopreservethemfromitsravages。
AfewremarksontheTsetse,or`Glossinamorsitans’,mayherebeappropriate。
Itisnotmuchlargerthanthecommonhouse-fly,andisnearlyofthesamebrowncolorasthecommonhoney-bee;theafterpartofthebodyhasthreeorfouryellowbarsacrossit;thewingsprojectbeyondthispartconsiderably,anditisremarkablyalert,avoidingmostdexterouslyallattemptstocaptureitwiththehandatcommontemperatures;inthecoolofthemorningsandeveningsitislessagileItspeculiarbuzzwhenonceheardcanneverbeforgottenbythetravelerwhosemeansoflocomotionaredomesticanimals;
foritiswellknownthatthebiteofthispoisonousinsectiscertaindeathtotheox,horse,anddogInthisjourney,thoughwewerenotawareofanygreatnumberhavingatanytimelightedonourcattle,welostforty-threefineoxenbyitsbite。
Wewatchedtheanimalscarefully,andbelievethatnotascoreofflieswereeveruponthem。
Amostremarkablefeatureinthebiteofthetsetseisitsperfectharmlessnessinmanandwildanimals,andevencalves,solongastheycontinuetosuckthecowsWeneverexperiencedtheslightestinjuryfromthemourselves,personally,althoughwelivedtwomonthsintheirHABITAT,whichwasinthiscaseassharplydefinedasinmanyothers,forthesouthbankoftheChobewasinfestedbythem,andthenorthernbank,whereourcattlewereplaced,onlyfiftyyardsdistant,containednotasinglespecimenThiswasthemoreremarkable,asweoftensawnativescarryingoverrawmeattotheoppositebankwithmanytsetsesettleduponit。
Thepoisondoesnotseemtobeinjectedbyasting,orbyovaplacedbeneaththeskin;for,whenoneisallowedtofeedfreelyonthehand,itisseentoinsertthemiddleprongofthreeportions,intowhichtheproboscisdivides,somewhatdeeplyintothetrueskin;
itthendrawsitoutalittleway,anditassumesacrimsoncolorasthemandiblescomeintobriskoperationThepreviouslyshrunkenbellyswellsout,and,ifleftundisturbed,theflyquietlydepartswhenitisfullAslightitchingirritationfollows,butnotmorethaninthebiteofamosquitoIntheoxthissamebiteproducesnomoreimmediateeffectsthaninmanItdoesnotstartlehimasthegad-flydoes;
butafewdaysafterwardthefollowingsymptomssupervene:
theeyeandnosebegintorun,thecoatstaresasiftheanimalwerecold,aswellingappearsunderthejaw,andsometimesatthenavel;
and,thoughtheanimalcontinuestograze,emaciationcommences,accompaniedwithapeculiarflaccidityofthemuscles,andthisproceedsuncheckeduntil,perhapsmonthsafterward,purgingcomeson,andtheanimal,nolongerabletograze,perishesinastateofextremeexhaustionThosewhichareingoodconditionoftenperishsoonafterthebiteisinflictedwithstaggeringandblindness,asifthebrainwereaffectedbyitSuddenchangesoftemperatureproducedbyfallsofrainseemtohastentheprogressofthecomplaint;
but,ingeneral,theemaciationgoesonuninterruptedlyformonths,and,dowhatwewill,thepooranimalsperishmiserably。
Whenopened,thecellulartissueonthesurfaceofthebodybeneaththeskinisseentobeinjectedwithair,asifaquantityofsoap-bubbleswerescatteredoverit,oradishonest,awkwardbutcherhadbeentryingtomakeitlookfatThefatisofagreenish-yellowcolorandofanoilyconsistence。
Allthemusclesareflabby,andtheheartoftensosoftthatthefingersmaybemadetomeetthroughitThelungsandliverpartakeofthedisease。
Thestomachandbowelsarepaleandempty,andthegall-bladderisdistendedwithbile。
Thesesymptomsseemtoindicatewhatisprobablythecase,apoisonintheblood,thegermofwhichenterswhentheproboscisisinsertedtodrawbloodThepoison-germ,containedinabulbattherootoftheproboscis,seemscapable,althoughveryminuteinquantity,ofreproducingitself,forthebloodafterdeathbytsetseisverysmallinquantity,andscarcelystainsthehandsindissection。
Ishallhaveby-and-bytomentionanotherinsect,whichbythesameoperationproducesinthehumansubjectbothvomitingandpurging。
Themule,ass,andgoatenjoythesameimmunityfromthetsetseasmanandthegameManylargetribesontheZambesicankeepnodomesticanimalsexceptthegoat,inconsequenceofthescourgeexistingintheircountryOurchildrenwerefrequentlybitten,yetsufferednoharm;andwesawaroundusnumbersofzebras,buffaloes,pigs,pallahsandotherantelopes,feedingquietlyintheveryhabitatofthetsetse,yetasundisturbedbyitsbiteasoxenarewhentheyfirstreceivethefatalpoisonThereisnotsomuchdifferenceinthenaturesofthehorseandzebra,thebuffaloandox,thesheepandantelope,astoaffordanysatisfactoryexplanationofthephenomenonIsamannotasmuchadomesticanimalasadog?
Thecuriousfeatureinthecase,thatdogsperishthoughfedonmilk,whereasthecalvesescapesolongastheycontinuesucking,madeusimaginethatthemischiefmightbeproducedbysomeplantinthelocality,andnotbytsetse;butMajorVardon,oftheMadrasArmy,settledthatpointbyridingahorseuptoasmallhillinfestedbytheinsectwithoutallowinghimtimetograze,and,thoughheonlyremainedlongenoughtotakeaviewofthecountryandcatchsomespecimensoftsetseontheanimal,intendaysafterwardthehorsewasdead。
Thewell-knowndisgustwhichthetsetseshowstoanimalexcreta,asexhibitedwhenavillageisplacedinitshabitat,hasbeenobservedandturnedtoaccountbysomeofthedoctors。
Theymixdroppingsofanimals,humanmilk,andsomemedicinestogether,andsmeartheanimalsthatareabouttopassthroughatsetsedistrict;
butthis,thoughitprovesapreventiveatthetime,isnotpermanent。
ThereisnocureyetknownforthediseaseAcarelessherdsmanallowingalargenumberofcattletowanderintoatsetsedistrictlosesallexceptthecalves;andSebituaneoncelostnearlytheentirecattleofhistribe,verymanythousands,byunwittinglycomingunderitsinfluenceInoculationdoesnotinsureimmunity,asanimalswhichhavebeenslightlybitteninoneyearmayperishbyagreaternumberofbitesinthenext;butitisprobablethatwiththeincreaseofgunsthegamewillperish,ashashappenedinthesouth,andthetsetse,deprivedoffood,maybecomeextinctsimultaneouslywiththelargeranimals。
TheMakololowhomwemetontheChobeweredelightedtoseeus;
andastheirchiefSebituanewasabouttwentymilesdowntheriver,MrOswellandIproceededincanoestohistemporaryresidence。
HehadcomefromtheBarotsetownofNalieledowntoSeshekeassoonasheheardofwhitemenbeinginsearchofhim,andnowcameonehundredmilesmoretobiduswelcomeintohiscountry。
Hewasuponanisland,withallhisprincipalmenaroundhim,andengagedinsingingwhenwearrivedItwasmorelikechurchmusicthanthesing-songeeeeee,aeaeae,oftheBechuanasofthesouth,andtheycontinuedthetuneforsomesecondsafterweapproached。