T42 MEMORIES OF MY LIFE 



like Kahichene". The smaller ones feared our weapons 

 and the mystery attached to white men coming from 

 afar, who might be in friendly relations with their 

 dreaded enemies, so I w r as able to slip through their 

 lawless country with comparative ease. 



Ovambonde proved to be of no importance. It 

 was nothing more than a long reach in a then dry 

 river-bed, which would, however, assume a very 

 different aspect after heavy rains. By the time we 

 had arrived there, the tales concerning a different 

 race called the Ovampo, who lived to the northwards 

 beyond the Damaras, had become more and more 

 consistent and exciting, and gave a fresh impetus 

 to proceed. The Damara limit is marked on the 

 map ; the axle of one of my wagons broke just 

 before reaching it. Consequently I made a camp 

 near a friendly Damara chief, and left the wagons, 

 with Hans and the drivers, to be repaired in the way 

 familiar to Boers, and started for Ovampo land with 

 Andersson and three men on ride-oxen. I also took 

 three laden pack-oxen and a few loose ones in reserve, 

 to furnish food if needed. 



A caravan travels every six months from Ovampo 

 land to buy Damara cattle, stopping at the very place 

 where we had been. A nother caravan similarly travels 

 along the Kaoko (see map) between Damara land 

 and the sea. We met one of the former of these 

 caravans a little after we had started, so we returned 

 for a while to our old camp, and finally went back to 

 Ovampo land with it.' These Ovampo were under 

 strict discipline, secret and very resolute. I could 

 not do what I liked in their company, but had to 

 depend on their plans. The will of their king 



