vm THE CHOBE RIVER 145 



buffaloes innumerable. Umparira is a horrid-looking 

 place, situated in a marsh between the two rivers, 

 suggestive of nothing but fever, ague, and mosquitoes. 

 It is a most unhealthy spot, and the graves of three 

 English traders, who died there of the deadly mal- 

 arial fever, attest the fact. It is just my idea of 

 Eden in Martin Chuzzlewit^ and the very look of the 

 place is almost enough to give one ague. Having 

 delayed a considerable time talking to Jacob Ourson, 

 it was late before we again made a start, and that 

 night we camped at only a few miles' distance from 

 Umparira. The Chobe, near its junction with the 

 Zambesi, is a fine deep river, several hundred yards 

 in breadth. The word " Chobe " (which, according 

 to Dr. Livingstone, is the name by which this river 

 was known to the Makololo in the time of Sebituane) 

 we found to convey no meaning to the natives now 

 living along its banks, who have no particular name 

 for it, but call it differently opposite each town, and 

 "Chobe" is very likely only the name of some 

 particular part, or of the headman of some town on 

 its banks whom the great explorer visited. 



The next day (Sunday), we continued our journey 

 westwards along the southern bank of the Chobe, 

 which here runs nearly due east. As we had been 

 informed, we found that a dense continuous jungle, 

 interspersed with large forest trees, came down in 

 most parts almost to the water. This jungle-covered 

 land rises in some places abruptly, in others in a gentle 

 slope, leaving along the shore a margin of open 

 ground (from 10 to 100 yards broad), covered with 

 short grass, and formed, no doubt, of alluvial deposit. 

 On the other side of the river, as far as the eye can 

 reach, stretches a wide expanse of flat, marshy 

 country, intersected by numerous deep, well-defined 



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