Agreatmanyvillagesofthispoorandveryindustriouspeoplearesituatedonbothbanksoftheriver：theyareexperthuntersofthehippopotamiandotheranimals，andveryproficientinthemanufactureofarticlesofwoodandironThewholeofthispartofthecountrybeinginfestedwiththetsetse，theyareunabletoreardomesticanimals。
ThismayhaveledtotheirskillinhandicraftworksSomemakelargewoodenvesselswithveryneatlids，andwoodenbowlsofallsizes；
andsincetheideaofsittingonstoolshasenteredtheMakololomind，theyhaveshowngreattasteinthedifferentformsgiventothelegsofthesepiecesoffurniture。
OtherBanyeti，orManyeti，astheyarecalled，makeneatandstrongbasketsofthesplitrootsofacertaintree，whileothersexcelinpotteryandiron。
IcannotfindthattheyhaveeverbeenwarlikeIndeed，thewarsinthecentreofthecountry，wherenoslave-tradeexisted，haveseldombeenaboutanythingelsebutcattleSowellknownisthis，thatseveraltribesrefusetokeepcattlebecausetheytempttheirenemiestocomeandstealNevertheless，theyhavenoobjectiontoeatthemwhenoffered，andtheircountryadmitsofbeingwellstocked。
Ihaveheardofbutonewarhavingoccurredfromanothercause。
Threebrothers，Barolongs，foughtforthepossessionofawomanwhowasconsideredworthabattle，andthetribehasremainedpermanentlydividedeversince。
Fromthebenduptothenorth，calledKatima-moleloIquenchedfire，thebedoftheriverisrocky，andthestreamrunsfast，formingasuccessionofrapidsandcataracts，whichpreventcontinuousnavigationwhenthewaterislowTherapidsarenotvisiblewhentheriverisfull，butthecataractsofNambwe，Bombwe，andKalemustalwaysbedangerousThefallateachoftheseisbetweenfourandsixfeet。
ButthefallsofGonyepresentamuchmoreseriousobstacle。
Therewewereobligedtotakethecanoesoutofthewater，andcarrythemmorethanamilebylandThefallisaboutthirtyfeet。
Themainbodyofwater，whichcomesovertheledgeofrockwhentheriverislow，iscollectedintoaspaceseventyoreightyyardswidebeforeittakestheleap，and，amassofrockbeingthrustforwardagainsttheroaringtorrent，aloudsoundisproducedTraditionreportsthedestructioninthisplaceoftwohippopotamus-hunters，who，over-eagerinthepursuitofawoundedanimal，were，withtheirintendedprey，drawndownintothefrightfulgulfThereisalsoatraditionofaman，evidentlyofasuperiormind，wholefthisowncountrymen，theBarotse，andcamedowntheriver，tookadvantageofthefalls，andledoutaportionofthewaterthereforirrigationSuchmindsmusthavearisenfromtimetotimeintheseregions，aswellasinourowncountry，but，ignorantoftheuseofletters，theyhaveleftnomemorialbehindthem。
Wedugoutsomeofaninferiorkindofpotato`Sisinyane’fromhisgarden，forwhenonceplanteditneverdiesoutThisrootisbitterandwaxy，thoughitiscultivatedItwasnotinflower，soIcannotsaywhetheritisasolanaceousplantornotOneneverexpectstofindagravenorastoneofremembrancesetupinAfrica；theveryrocksareilliterate，theycontainsofewfossilsThosehereareofreddishvariegated，hardenedsandstone，withmadreporeholesinitThis，andbroadhorizontalstrataoftrap，sometimesahundredmilesinextent，andeachlayerhavinganinchorsoofblacksiliciousmatteronit，asifithadfloatedtherewhileinastateoffusion，formagreatpartofthebottomofthecentralvalleyTheserocks，inthesouthernpartofthecountryespecially，areoftencoveredwithtwelveorfifteenfeetofsoftcalcareoustufaAtBombwewehavethesametrap，withradiatedzeolite，probablymesotype，anditagainappearsattheconfluenceoftheChobe，fartherdown。
Aswepasseduptheriver，thedifferentvillagesofBanyetiturnedouttopresentSekeletuwithfoodandskins，astheirtribute。
OnelargevillageisplacedatGonye，theinhabitantsofwhicharerequiredtoassisttheMakololotocarrytheircanoespastthefalls。
Thetsetseherelightedonuseveninthemiddleofthestream。
Thiswecrossedrepeatedly，inordertomakeshortcutsatbendsoftheriver。
Thecourseis，however，remarkablystraightamongtherocks；
andheretheriverisshallow，onaccountofthegreatbreadthofsurfacewhichitcoversWhenwecametoabout16d16’Slatitude，thehighwoodedbanksseemedtoleavetheriver，andnomoretsetseappeared。
Viewedfromtheflat，reedybasininwhichtheriverthenflowed，thebanksseemedprolongedintoridges，ofthesamewoodedcharacter，twoorthreehundredfeethigh，andstretchedawaytotheN。N。EandN。N。W。
untiltheyweretwentyorthirtymilesapartTheinterveningspace，nearlyonehundredmilesinlength，withtheLeeambyewindinggentlynearthemiddle，isthetrueBarotsevalleyItbearsacloseresemblancetothevalleyoftheNile，andisinundatedannually，notbyrains，butbytheLeeambye，exactlyasLowerEgyptisfloodedbytheNile。
ThevillagesoftheBarotsearebuiltonmounds，someofwhicharesaidtohavebeenraisedartificiallybySanturu，aformerchiefoftheBarotse，andduringtheinundationthewholevalleyassumestheappearanceofalargelake，withthevillagesonthemoundslikeislands，justasoccursinEgyptwiththevillagesoftheEgyptians。
Someportionofthewatersofinundationcomesfromthenorthwest，wheregreatfloodingsalsooccur，butmorecomesfromthenorthandnortheast，descendingthebedoftheLeeambyeitselfTherearebutfewtreesinthisvalley：thosewhichstandonthemoundswerenearlyalltransplantedbySanturuforshadeThesoilisextremelyfertile，andthepeopleareneverinwantofgrain，for，bytakingadvantageofthemoistureoftheinundation，theycantaketwocropsayear。
TheBarotsearestronglyattachedtothisfertilevalley；theysay，“Herehungerisnotknown。”Therearesomanythingsbesidescornwhichamancanfindinitforfood，thatitisnowondertheydesertfromLinyantitoreturntothisplace。
Thegreatvalleyisnotputtoatitheoftheuseitmightbe。
Itiscoveredwithcoarsesucculentgrasses，whichaffordamplepasturageforlargeherdsofcattle；thesethrivewonderfully，andgivemilkcopiouslytotheirownersWhenthevalleyisflooded，thecattlearecompelledtoleaveitandgotothehigherlands，wheretheyfalloffincondition；
theirreturnisatimeofjoy。
Itisimpossibletosaywhetherthisvalley，whichcontainssomuchmoisture，wouldraisewheatasthevalleyoftheNiledoesItisprobablytoorich，andwouldmakecornrunentirelytostraw，foronespeciesofgrasswasobservedtwelvefeethigh，withastemasthickasaman’sthumb。
Atpresentthepasturageisnevereatenoff，thoughtheMakololopossessimmenseherdsofcattle。
Therearenolargetowns，themoundsonwhichthetownsandvillagesarebuiltbeingallsmall，andthepeoplerequiretoliveapartonaccountoftheircattle。
ThisvisitwasthefirstSekeletuhadmadetothesepartssinceheattainedthechieftainshipThosewhohadtakenpartwithMpepewereconsequentlyingreatterrorWhenwecametothetownofMpepe’sfather，asheandanothermanhadcounseledMamochisanetoputSekeletutodeathandmarryMpepe，thetwowereledforthandtossedintotheriver。
NokuanewasagainoneoftheexecutionersWhenIremonstratedagainsthumanbloodbeingshedintheoffhandwayinwhichtheywereproceeding，thecounselorsjustifiedtheiractsbytheevidencegivenbyMamochisane，andcalmlyadded，“YouseewearestillBoers；wearenotyettaught。”
MpepehadgivenfullpermissiontotheMambarislave-dealerstotradeinalltheBatokaandBashukulompovillagestotheeastofthis。
Hehadgiventhemcattle，ivory，andchildren，andhadreceivedinreturnalargeblunderbusstobemountedasacannonWhentheslightcircumstanceofmyhavingcoveredthebodyofthechiefwithmyownderangedthewholeconspiracy，theMambari，intheirstockade，wereplacedinveryawkwardcircumstancesItwasproposedtoattackthemanddrivethemoutofthecountryatonce；but，dreadingacommencementofhostilities，Iurgedthedifficultiesofthatcourse，andshowedthatastockadedefendedbyperhapsfortymusketswouldbeaveryseriousaffair。
“Hungerisstrongenoughforthat。”saidanunder-chief；
“averygreatfellowishe。”Theythoughtofattackingthembystarvation。
Asthechiefsufferersincaseofsuchanattackwouldhavebeenthepoorslaveschainedingangs，Iintercededforthem，andtheresultofanintercessionofwhichtheywereignorantwasthattheywereallowedtodepartinpeace。
Naliele，thecapitaloftheBarotse，isbuiltonamoundwhichwasconstructedartificiallybySanturu，andwashisstore-houseforgrain。
Hisowncapitalstoodaboutfivehundredyardstothesouthofthat，inwhatisnowthebedoftheriverAllthatremainsofthelargestmoundinthevalleyareafewcubicyardsofearth，toerectwhichcostthewholeofthepeopleofSanturuthelaborofmanyyears。
Thesamethinghashappenedtoanotherancientsiteofatown，Linangelo，alsoontheleftbankItwouldseem，therefore，thattheriverinthispartofthevalleymustbewearingeastward。
Nogreatriseoftheriverisrequiredtosubmergethewholevalley；
ariseoftenfeetabovethepresentlow-watermarkwouldreachthehighestpointiteverattains，asseeninthemarkingsofthebankonwhichstoodSanturu’sancientcapital，andtwoorthreefeetmorewoulddelugeallthevillagesThisneverhappens，thoughthewatersometimescomessonearthefoundationsofthehutsthatthepeoplecannotmoveoutsidethewallsofreedswhichencircletheirvillages。
WhentheriveriscompressedamongthehighrockybanksnearGonye，itrisessixtyfeet。
Theinfluenceofthepartialobstructionitmeetswiththereisseeninthemorewindingcourseoftherivernorthof16Deg。；
andwhentheswellgetspastKatima-molelo，itspreadsoutonthelandsonbothbankstowardSesheke。
Santuru，atwhoseancientgranarywearestaying，wasagreathunter，andveryfondoftamingwildanimalsHispeople，awareofhistaste，broughttohimeveryyoungantelopetheycouldcatch，and，amongotherthings，twoyounghippopotamiTheseanimalsgamboledintheriverbyday，butneverfailedtoremembertocomeuptoNalielefortheirsuppersofmilkandmealTheywerethewonderofthecountry，tillastranger，happeningtocometovisitSanturu，sawthemreclininginthesun，andspearedoneofthemonthesuppositionthatitwaswild。
ThesameunluckyaccidenthappenedtooneofthecatsIhadbroughttoSekeletuAstranger，seeingananimalhehadneverviewedbefore，killedit，andbroughtthetrophytothechief，thinkingthathehadmadeaveryremarkablediscovery；wetherebylostthebreedofcats，ofwhich，fromtheswarmsofmice，westoodingreatneed。
OnmakinginquiriestoascertainwhetherSanturu，theMoloiana，hadeverbeenvisitedbywhitemen，Icouldfindnovestigeofanysuchvisit；*
thereisnoevidenceofanyofSanturu’speoplehavingeverseenawhitemanbeforethearrivalofMrOswellandmyselfin1851Thepeoplehave，itistrue，nowrittenrecords；butanyremarkableeventhereiscommemoratedinnames，aswasobservedbyParktobethecaseinthecountrieshetraversedTheyearofourarrivalisdignifiedbythenameoftheyearwhenthewhitemencame，orofSebituane’sdeath；
buttheyprefertheformer，astheyavoid，ifpossible，anydirectreferencetothedepartedAftermywife’sfirstvisit，greatnumbersofchildrenwerenamedMa-Robert，ormotherofRobert，hereldestchild；
otherswerenamedGun，Horse，Wagon，Monare，Jesus，etc。；
butthoughournames，andthoseofthenativePortuguesewhocamein1853，wereadopted，thereisnotatraceofanythingofthesorthavinghappenedpreviouslyamongtheBarotse：thevisitofawhitemanissucharemarkableevent，that，hadanytakenplaceduringthelastthreehundredyears，theremusthaveremainedsometraditionofit。