Thepresenceofthesematlametlointhedesertinatimeofdroughtwasratheradisappointment，forIhadbeenaccustomedtosupposethatthenotewasalwaysemittedbythemwhentheywerechin-deepinwater。
　　Theirmusicwasalwaysregardedinotherspotsasthemostpleasantsoundthatmettheearaftercrossingportionsofthethirstydesert；
　　andIcouldfullyappreciatethesympathyfortheseanimalsshownbyAesop，himselfanAfrican，inhisfableofthe“BoysandtheFrogs“。
　　ItisremarkablethatattemptshavenotbeenmadetoanyextenttodomesticatesomeofthenobleandusefulcreaturesofAfricainEngland。
　　Theeland，whichisthemostmagnificentofallantelopes，wouldgracetheparksofournobilitymorethandeerThisanimal，fromtheexcellenceofitsflesh，wouldbeappropriatetoourowncountry；
　　andasthereisalsoasplendidesculentfrognearlyaslargeasachicken，itwouldnodoubttendtoperpetuatethepresentallianceifwemadeagiftofthattoFrance。
　　Thescavengerbeetleisoneofthemostusefulofallinsects，asiteffectuallyanswerstheobjectindicatedbythename。
　　Wheretheyabound，asatKuruman，thevillagesaresweetandclean，fornosoonerareanimalexcretionsdroppedthan，attractedbythescent，thescavengersareheardcomingboomingupthewindTheyrollawaythedroppingsofcattleatonce，inroundpiecesoftenaslargeasbilliard-balls；andwhentheyreachaplaceproperbyitssoftnessforthedepositoftheireggsandthesafetyoftheiryoung，theydigthesoiloutfrombeneaththeballtilltheyhavequiteletitdownandcoveredit：theythenlaytheireggswithinthemass。
　　Whilethelarvaearegrowing，theydevourtheinsideoftheballbeforecomingabovegroundtobegintheworldforthemselves。
　　ThebeetleswiththeirgiganticballslooklikeAtlaswiththeworldonhisback；onlytheygobackward，and，withtheirheadsdown，pushwiththehindlegs，asifaboyshouldrollasnow-ballwithhislegswhilestandingonhisheadAswerecommendtheelandtoJohnBull，andthegiganticfrogtoFrance，wecanconfidentlyrecommendthisbeetletothedirtyItaliantownsandourownSanitaryCommissioners。
　　IntryingtobenefitthetribeslivingundertheBoersoftheCashanMountains，ItwiceperformedajourneyofaboutthreehundredmilestotheeastwardofKolobengSechelehadbecomesoobnoxioustotheBoersthat，thoughanxioustoaccompanymeinmyjourney，hedarednottrusthimselfamongthemThisdidnotarisefromthecrimeofcattle-stealing；forthatcrime，socommonamongtheCaffres，wasneverchargedagainsthistribe，nor，indeed，againstanyBechuanatribe。
　　Itis，infact，unknowninthecountry，exceptduringactualwarfare。
　　HisindependenceandloveoftheEnglishwerehisonlyfaults。
　　Inmylastjourneythere，ofabouttwohundredmiles，onpartingattheRiverMarikwehegavemetwoservants，“tobe。”ashesaid，“hisarmstoserveme。”andexpressedregretthathecouldnotcomehimself“Supposewewentnorth。”Isaid，“wouldyoucome？”
　　HethentoldmethestoryofSebituanehavingsavedhislife，andexpatiatedonthefar-famedgenerosityofthatreallygreatman。
　　ThiswasthefirsttimeIhadthoughtofcrossingtheDeserttoLakeNgami。
　　TheconductoftheBoers，who，aswillberemembered，hadsentaletterdesignedtoprocuremyremovaloutofthecountry，andtheirwell-knownsettledpolicywhichIhavealreadydescribed，becamemorefullydevelopedonthisthanonanyformeroccasion。
　　WhenIspoketoMrHendrickPotgeiterofthedangerofhinderingtheGospelofChristamongthesepoorsavages，hebecamegreatlyexcited，andcalledoneofhisfollowerstoanswermeHethreatenedtoattackanytribethatmightreceiveanativeteacher，yethepromisedtousehisinfluencetopreventthoseunderhimfromthrowingobstaclesinourwayIcouldperceiveplainlythatnothingmorecouldbedoneinthatdirection，soIcommencedcollectingalltheinformationIcouldaboutthedesert，withtheintentionofcrossingit，ifpossible。
　　Sekomi，thechiefoftheBamangwato，wasacquaintedwitharoutewhichhekeptcarefullytohimself，becausetheLakecountryaboundedinivory，andhedrewlargequantitiesthenceperiodicallyatbutsmallcosttohimself。
　　Sechele，whovaluedhighlyeverythingEuropean，andwasalwaysfullyalivetohisowninterest，wasnaturallyanxioustogetashareofthatinvitingfieldHewasmostanxioustovisitSebituanetoo，partly，perhaps，fromawishtoshowoffhisnewacquirements，butchiefly，Ibelieve，fromhavingveryexaltedideasofthebenefitshewouldderivefromtheliberalityofthatrenownedchieftain。
　　InageandfamilySecheleistheelderandsuperiorofSekomi；
　　forwhentheoriginaltribebrokeupintoBamangwato，Bangwaketse，andBakwains，theBakwainsretainedthehereditarychieftainship；
　　sotheirchief，Sechele，possessescertainadvantagesoverSekomi，thechiefoftheBamangwatoIfthetwoweretravelingorhuntingtogether，Sechelewouldtake，byright，theheadsofthegameshotbySekomi。
　　Thereareseveralvestiges，besides，ofveryancientpartitionsandlordshipsoftribesTheelderbrotherofSechele’sfather，becomingblind，gaveoverthechieftainshiptoSechele’sfather。
　　ThedescendantsofthismanpaynotributetoSechele，thoughheistheactualruler，andsuperiortotheheadofthatfamily；
　　andSechele，whileineveryotherrespectsupreme，callshimKosi，orChief。
　　TheothertribeswillnotbegintoeattheearlypumpkinsofanewcropuntiltheyhearthattheBahurutsehave“bittenit“，andthereisapublicceremonyontheoccasionthesonofthechiefbeingthefirsttotasteofthenewharvest。
　　Sechele，bymyadvice，sentmentoSekomi，askingleaveformetopassalonghispath，accompanyingtherequestwiththepresentofanox。
　　Sekomi’smother，whopossessesgreatinfluenceoverhim，refusedpermission，becauseshehadnotbeenpropitiatedThisproducedafreshmessage；
　　andthemosthonorablemanintheBakwaintribe，nexttoSechele，wassentwithanoxforbothSekomiandhismotherThis，too，wasmetbyrefusal。
　　Itwassaid，“TheMatebele，themortalenemiesoftheBechuanas，areinthedirectionofthelake，and，shouldtheykillthewhiteman，weshallincurgreatblamefromallhisnation。”
　　TheexactpositionoftheLakeNgamihad，forhalfacenturyatleast，beencorrectlypointedoutbythenatives，whohadvisiteditwhenrainsweremorecopiousintheDesertthaninmorerecenttimes，andmanyattemptshadbeenmadetoreachitbypassingthroughtheDesertinthedirectionindicated；butitwasfoundimpossible，evenforGriquas，who，havingsomeBushmanbloodinthem，maybesupposedmorecapableofenduringthirstthanEuropeans。
　　Itwasclear，then，thatouronlychanceofsuccesswasbygoinground，insteadofthrough，theDesertThebesttimefortheattemptwouldhavebeenabouttheendoftherainyseason，inMarchorApril，forthenweshouldhavebeenlikelytomeetwithpoolsofrain-water，whichalwaysdryupduringtherainlesswinterIcommunicatedmyintentiontoanAfricantraveler，ColonelSteele，thenaid-de-camptotheMarquisofTweedaleatMadras，andhemadeitknowntotwoothergentlemen，whosefriendshipwehadgainedduringtheirAfricantravel，namely，MajorVardonandMrOswellAllofthesegentlemenweresoenamoredwithAfricanhuntingandAfricandiscoverythatthetwoformermusthaveenviedthelatterhisgoodfortuneinbeingabletoleaveIndiatoundertakeafreshthepleasuresandpainsofdesertlife。
　　IbelieveMrOswellcamefromhishighpositionataveryconsiderablepecuniarysacrifice，andwithnootherendinviewbuttoextendtheboundariesofgeographicalknowledgeBeforeIknewofhiscoming，IhadarrangedthatthepaymentfortheguidesfurnishedbySecheleshouldbetheloanofmywagon，tobringbackwhateverivoryhemightobtainfromthechiefatthelakeWhen，atlast，MrOswellcame，bringingMrMurraywithhim，heundertooktodefraytheentireexpensesoftheguides，andfullyexecutedhisgenerousintention。
　　Sechelehimselfwouldhavecomewithus，but，fearingthatthemuch-talked-ofassaultoftheBoersmighttakeplaceduringourabsence，andblamebeattachedtomefortakinghimaway，IdissuadedhimagainstitbysayingthatheknewMrOswell“wouldbeasdeterminedashimselftogetthroughtheDesert。”
　　Beforenarratingtheincidentsofthisjourney，ImaygivesomeaccountofthegreatKalahariDesert，inorderthatthereadermayunderstandinsomedegreethenatureofthedifficultieswehadtoencounter。
　　ThespacefromtheOrangeRiverinthesouth，lat29Degrees，toLakeNgamiinthenorth，andfromabout24Degreeseastlong。
　　tonearthewestcoast，hasbeencalledadesertsimplybecauseitcontainsnorunningwater，andverylittlewaterinwells。
　　Itisbynomeansdestituteofvegetationandinhabitants，foritiscoveredwithgrassandagreatvarietyofcreepingplants；
　　besideswhichtherearelargepatchesofbushes，andeventrees。
　　Itisremarkablyflat，butinteresectedindifferentpartsbythebedsofancientrivers；andprodigiousherdsofcertainantelopes，whichrequirelittleornowater，roamoverthetracklessplains。
　　Theinhabitants，BushmenandBakalahari，preyonthegameandonthecountlessrodentiaandsmallspeciesofthefelineracewhichsubsistontheseIngeneral，thesoilislight-coloredsoftsand，nearlypuresilicaThebedsoftheancientriverscontainmuchalluvialsoil；andasthatisbakedhardbytheburningsun，rain-waterstandsinpoolsinsomeofthemforseveralmonthsintheyear。
　　Thequantityofgrasswhichgrowsonthisremarkableregionisastonishing，eventothosewhoarefamiliarwithIndiaItusuallyrisesintuftswithbarespacesbetween，ortheintervalsareoccupiedbycreepingplants，which，havingtheirrootsburiedfarbeneaththesoil，feellittletheeffectsofthescorchingsunThenumberofthesewhichhavetuberousrootsisverygreat；andtheirstructureisintendedtosupplynutrimentandmoisture，when，duringthelongdroughts，theycanbeobtainednowhereelseHerewehaveanexampleofaplant，notgenerallytuber-bearing，becomingsoundercircumstanceswherethatappendageisnecessarytoactasareservoirforpreservingitslife；
　　andthesamethingoccursinAngolatoaspeciesofgrape-bearingvine，whichissofurnishedforthesamepurposeTheplanttowhichIatpresentreferisoneofthecucurbitaceae，whichbearsasmall，scarlet-colored，eatablecucumberAnotherplant，namedLeroshua，isablessingtotheinhabitantsoftheDesertWeseeasmallplantwithlinearleaves，andastalknotthickerthanacrow’squill；
　　ondiggingdownafootoreighteeninchesbeneath，wecometoatuber，oftenaslargeastheheadofayoungchild；whentherindisremoved，wefindittobeamassofcellulartissue，filledwithfluidmuchlikethatinayoungturnipOwingtothedepthbeneaththesoilatwhichitisfound，itisgenerallydeliciouslycoolandrefreshing。
　　Anotherkind，namedMokuri，isseeninotherpartsofthecountry，wherelong-continuedheatparchesthesoilThisplantisanherbaceouscreeper，anddepositsundergroundanumberoftubers，someaslargeasaman’shead，atspotsinacircleayardormore，horizontally，fromthestemThenativesstrikethegroundonthecircumferenceofthecirclewithstones，till，byhearingadifferenceofsound，theyknowthewater-bearingtubertobebeneath。
　　Theythendigdownafootorso，andfindit。
　　ButthemostsurprisingplantoftheDesertisthe“KengweorKeme“
　　`Cucumiscaffer’，thewatermelonInyearswhenmorethantheusualquantityofrainfalls，vasttractsofthecountryareliterallycoveredwiththesemelons；thiswasthecaseannuallywhenthefallofrainwasgreaterthanitisnow，andtheBakwainssenttradingpartieseveryyeartothelakeIthappenscommonlyonceeverytenorelevenyears，andforthelastthreetimesitsoccurrencehascoincidedwithanextraordinarilywetseasonThenanimalsofeverysortandname，includingman，rejoiceintherichsupplyTheelephant，truelordoftheforest，revelsinthisfruit，andsodothedifferentspeciesofrhinoceros，althoughnaturallysodiverseintheirchoiceofpastureThevariouskindsofantelopesfeedonthemwithequalavidity，andlions，hyaenas，jackals，andmice，allseemtoknowandappreciatethecommonblessingThesemelonsarenot，however，allofthemeatable；somearesweet，andotherssobitterthatthewholearenamedbytheBoersthe“bitterwatermelon“。
　　Thenativesselectthembystrikingonemelonafteranotherwithahatchet，andapplyingthetonguetothegashesTheythusreadilydistinguishbetweenthebitterandsweetThebitteraredeleterious，butthesweetarequitewholesomeThispeculiarityofonespeciesofplantbearingbothsweetandbitterfruitsoccursalsoinared，eatablecucumber，oftenmetwithinthecountryItisaboutfourincheslong，andaboutaninchandahalfindiameterItisofabrightscarletcolorwhenripeManyarebitter，othersquitesweetEvenmelonsinagardenmaybemadebitterbyafewbitterkengweinthevicinity。