START FROM KOBIS MEET BECHUANAS. 413 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



Start from Kobis. — Meet Becliuanas. — False Report. — Wonderful 

 Eace of Men. — The Baobob-tree. — The Ngami. — First Impressions 

 of the Lake. — Reflections. — Experience some Disappointment. — 

 Reach the Zouga River and encamp near it. — Interview with Chief 

 Lecholetebe. — Information refused. — Immoderate Laughter. — Pres- 

 ents to the Chief. — His Covetousness. — His Cruelty. — Formidable 

 Difficulties. — Author permitted to proceed northward. 



Our first day's march from Kobis lay through an exceed- 

 ingly dense " wait-a-bit" thorn coppice, crossed in every di- 

 rection by numerous paths of rhinoceroses and elephants. 

 The soil consisted of soft and yielding sand, which made trav- 

 eling very fatiguing. The second day, at an early hour, we 

 arrived at a fine vley of water, where I was met by a num- 

 ber of Bechuanas (among whom were some of the leading 

 men of the tribe) waiting to conduct me to Lecholetebe, who 

 had given them orders to render me any assistance I might 

 require. Whether this was from courtesy, or to serve his 

 own purposes, I am uncertain ; though, from what I after- 

 ward saw of the chief, I am inclined to think it was entirely 

 from selfish motives. 



The men in question belonged to a tribe called Batoana, 

 residing on the shores of the Lake Ngami. They were re- 

 markably fine-looking fellows, stout and well built, with 

 CaflTre features and longish hair. Their appearance, indeed, 

 was not unlike that of the Damaras. One and all were 

 armed with a shield (oblong in form, and made of a single 

 fold of ox-hide), and a bundle of assegais of various descrip- 

 tions, each provided with several barbs. What with these 

 formidable weapons and their martial bearing, the aspect 

 of these savages was imposing and warlike. They wore few 

 or no ornaments. 



