IM MODERATE

LAUGHTER.

345

British Government at the Cape, and so forth. He listened to my story with apparent attention, and in profound silence, eyeing me the whole time suspiciously. But he asked no question, nor did he venture any remark.

Having conveyed to him all I had to say, I prepared to depart. Previously, however, to taking leave, I requested him to have the goodness to give me some information about his country, to which he abruptly replied

"I know nothing at all!"

"Is there, then," I said, "none of your people who can furnish me with some account of it ?"

"No," was his immediate answer.

I was annoyed, but felt the necessity of concealing my vexation; and, soon after rising, I said: "Well, Lecholètébè, perhaps, when we become better acquainted, you will be more communicative. In the mean time, when it suits you, come over to my encampment and have a chat, and, may be, you will find something there to captivate your fancy."

I had no occasion to say this twice, as I too soon found to my cost. Unlike our fat friend, king Nangoro, who had the courtesy to make us wait about three days before he condescended to see us, the Bechuana chief could scarcely restrain his curiosity for as many hours.

When he arrived, I was busy preparing some skins of birds and snakes, which caused no small amount of jesting amongst his followers. One fellow, more inquisitive and impertinent than the rest, approached close to me, and, seizing one of the reptiles by the tail, held it up before the multitude, which were now thronging my tent to inconvenience, and, addressing to it some unintelligible words, the whole assembly burst out into a deafening roar of laughter. Indeed, the mirth became so outrageous as to throw the party into convulsions, many casting themselves at full length on the ground, with their hands tightly clasped across their stomachs as if in fear of bursting, whilst their greasy cheeks became furrowed with tears trickling down in streams. Fancy, reader, a royal cortège prostrated in the dust by laughter! Although this merriment was, no doubt, at my expense, the sight more amused than annoyed me.

As soon as the noise had subsided, I brought forward my presents for the chief, consisting of beads, knives, tobacco, snuff, steel-chains, rings, blue calico, red woolen caps, and trinkets of various kinds. Without deigning even a look of satisfaction, Lecholètébè silently distributed the goods amongst

346

AN UN GRATIFIED

WISH.

the principal of his men who were grouped around him, reserving, apparently, nothing to himself. This being done, he looked anxiously round, from which I inferred that some ungratified desire was still on his heart. Nor was I deceived; for all at once he inquired whether I had not brought him some powder and lead, which he might barter for ivory. I told him that I had some; but, firstly, it was not more than I myself wanted; and, secondly, I was prohibited by the British Government at the Cape from disposing of either arms or ammunition, and that I could not think of disobeying these orders.

At this declaration his countenance fell, and I saw clearly that he was very much annoyed. But I was prepared for his displeasure; and, by opportunely placing in his hand a doublebarreled pistol, which I had previously been informed he coveted excessively, and which I begged him to accept as a memento of my visit, his visage soon beamed with delight and satisfaction, and we became excellent friends.

When Europeans first visited the Lake, they were, I am told, liberally entertained by Lecholètébè; but, whatever civility he might have shown to strangers in former times, much cannot be said in favor of his hospitality at the present day. During my whole stay at the Lake, I never received from him so much as a handful of corn, or a cup of milk. On the contrary, he, whilst we ourselves were almost starving, was in the habit of begging food daily from me.

If anything takes his fancy-no matter what-it may be the shirt you wear-he has no scruple in asking you for it at once. Upon your refusal, he will, perhaps, leave you for a time, but is sure to return and renew his request with the greatest pertinacity, never ceasing his solicitations till, by his vexatious importunity, he has succeeded in getting the object of his desire-a line of policy, the success of which he seems fully to understand.

The arrival of several wagons at the Lake, at the same time, puts him in the highest glee. On these occasions, he never fails to make his rounds, craving bread from one, sugar from another, coffee from a third, meat from a fourth, and so on.

The traders, however, know how to take advantage of this weakness in his character, and often make him pay dearly for such articles as may captivate his fancy; for instance, I have known a man to get a good-sized bull-elephant tusk for three common copper drinking-cups!!

When the Lake was first discovered, a man told me that he obtained, in

AUTHOR DESIROUS OF VISITING LIBÉBÉ. 347

Lecholétébè possesses great power over his people, when he chooses to exercise it; but I am inclined to think their subjection is attributable more to superstition, and the force of custom, than to any real regard for his person. Generally speaking, he is not of a cruel disposition. But that he holds human life in very light estimation, the following incident, which came under my own immediate notice, serves to show:

Having lately bought some horses, two bushmen were ordered to take charge of them; but, unfortunately, by their neglect, one of the animals fell into a quagmire, and was suffocated. Being afraid to tell the truth, they reported to the chief that the horse had died from the effects of the bite of a snake. On hearing this, Lecholètébè questioned the men as to the part of the body wounded by the reptile, and being told that it was in the head, he ordered the man to lead him to the place, that he might see for himself. On arriving at the spot, he at once saw how the case stood, and told the bushmen that the animal had not died from the bite of a snake, but was evidently choked in the mud, to which they confessed, as there was no longer any chance of concealing the truth. Without further question or remark, the chief ordered the halter of the dead horse to be loosened, and the hands and feet of the bushmen to be secured with it. This being done, they were thrown into the mud, alongside the dead quadruped, where, of course, they soon miserably perished, Lecholètébè coolly exclaiming : "There, now mind the horse!"

Another instance of the little value he sets on human (rather bushman) life, I have upon good authority. A bushman lad, who had long been successfully engaged in sheep-stealing, was at length detected, and, as a punishment for his crimes, was tied to a tree, and practiced upon with guns at the long distance of two hundred paces.

The object I had now chiefly in view was to visit a place called Libébé, situated considerably to the north of the Lake, not so much to see the country, as to collect information in regard to the mighty waters (part of which are tributaries to the Ngami) lately brought to light in that remote region; as also to ascertain if any water communication existed with the sea. But many difficulties were in the way. My people refused almost to a man to accompany me; and as our agreement only bound them as far as the Ngami, I could not com

exchange for a musket, twelve hundred pounds of ivory, worth, at the least, £240 sterling!

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LECHOLÈTÉBÈ CONSENTS.

pel them to go on. The parts that I should have to pass through are infected with fevers fatal to human life; and then, again, the tsetse fly abounds, which, from the ravages it causes amongst cattle, renders traveling by land almost impos

sible.

The only way left was to penetrate northwards by water, if practicable; but here again I found serious impediments. I had no boat of my own, and Lecholètébè (like all native chiefs) was known to be particularly hostile to any attempt to pass beyond his territory. Not the most alluring promises of presents and rewards had yet succeeded in inducing him to assist any one in this matter. Consequently, I could not expect that he would treat me differently, the rather as I was really not in a position to offer him a bribe of any value. It being a darling scheme of mine, however, to penetrate to Libèbé, I was determined on carrying it out if possible.

Accordingly, I seized the first favorable opportunity of broaching the subject to the chief, and requested he would furnish me with men and canoes. To my great astonishment, but no less delight, and without the slightest objection, he agreed to my proposal. As, however, I could not flatter myself that I had procured a more favorable impression than any other traveler, I suspected deceit of some kind; and the sequel proved I was not mistaken in my conjecture.

THE

CHAPTER XXXIV.

NGAMI-WHEN DISCOVERED-ITS VARIOUS NAMES-ITS SIZE AND FORM-GREAT CHANGES IN ITS WATERS-SINGULAR PHENOMENON-THE TEOGE RIVER-THE ZOUGA RIVER-THE MUKURU MUKOVANJA RIVERAMIMALS-BIRDS-CROCODILES-SERPENTS-FISH.

Ar an early period of the present century rumors had reached Europeans of a vast lake in the interior of South Africa; but for a very long time its existence continued to be involved in mystery, and travelers and hunters were unavailingly expending their resources and energies to solve the grand problem.

The cause of all these failures was chiefly to be found in the desert and inhospitable regions which lie between the explorers and the supposed lake, commonly known as the Kalahari desert. Towards the close of 1849, however, and when the hope of our being able to overcome this apparently insurmountable barrier was almost extinguished, the great object was accomplished by the persevering exertions of Messrs. Oswell, Livingstone, and Murray, and the existence was made known of a fine fresh-water lake in the centre of South Africa.

This important and highly interesting discovery at once opened a new and extensive field for the inquiries of the geographer and the naturalist, and gave a fresh impulse to the enterprising and speculating spirit of the colonists of Southern Africa. The lake was described as a magnificent sheet of water, abounding in fish and hippopotami, and the country around as well stocked with elephants, and other large game, whilst the vegetation was said to be on the most luxuriant scale. The discovery excited very considerable interest.