XX SEKELETU'S OLD TOWN 425 



gone higher up the Chobe towards Mai-iiii's town 

 by himself. 



On August the 23rd I crossed the Chobe, and 

 paid a visit to old Mamele, the headman of this part 

 of the Chobe, whom I had known in 1877. The 

 object of my visit was to obtain permission from 

 him to hunt elephants between the Chobe and the 

 Zambesi. This I at last obtained, after a palaver 

 that lasted for two entire days. Before entering 

 upon this trip, it was, however, requisite for me to 

 return to the waggons and get a fresh supply of 

 ammunition, a little tea and rice, and some goods to 

 pay Mamele for the right to hunt in his country. 

 So, recrossing the Chobe — it took about five hours 

 to paddle through the different channels that intersect 

 the marsh, and connect the two main branches of the 

 river — I forthwith started. Collison accompanied 

 me, intending to remain and hunt on horseback near 

 the waggons. Between Gat-Garra, a permanent 

 water in a limestone basin, and the Mababe, a 

 distance which it took us eleven and a quarter hours 

 to walk, there was no water, so we walked the greater 

 part of the distance by night, as the sun was getting 

 very hot, and the soil was deep soft sand. 



On September 2, I again started back for the 

 Chobe, and on the 5th rejoined French and Miller 

 at our old skerm near Tcharo's town. 



On the 8th we crossed the southern branch ot 

 the Chobe, and striking north towards the site of 

 Sebituane's old town, slept on the Salubanda, a small 

 stream near the northern channel. 



The following day we crossed this branch of the 

 river, and then proceeded eastwards to Mamele's 

 town, passing the site of Linyanti (Sekeletu's old 

 town) on the way. Here we tound several tires ot 



