THE OKAVANGO RIVER S3 



tinctly Hamidian strain in the Hereros, and they 

 are never given to joking or laughing in the fashion 

 of the average negro. In addition to those who 

 were engaged to accompany me, another small 

 contingent of native Africans were of our company 

 as far as the last Portuguese fort at Mucusso. I 

 suppose they came with us for the sake of com- 

 panionship and perhaps for safety, and quite 

 possibly for the chance of plenty of free meat. 

 They all gave a hand with my own boys in making 

 the thorn-bush kraal for the donkeys, and in 

 other work. 



On two nights before reaching Mucusso, we heard 

 lions. Once the sound was fairly close to the 

 camp. I notice that stock seem to take little 

 notice of the roar of a lion, the sound apparently 

 not conveying much to them : in striking contrast 

 to the uneasiness and fear which they show with 

 the slightest taint in the wind. Much has been 

 written about the roar of a lion by old and 

 experienced hands, but when I first heard wild 

 lions, my own impression was that the actual 

 noise was disappointing and by no means so loud 

 as I had anticipated. Still, it must be admitted 

 the sound has a peculiarly penetrating and even 

 menacing tone. Even when one is accustomed 

 for months to the frequent roaring of lions, it is 

 impossible to wake up at night and hear the roar 

 without a thrill of interest. 



Later on in the trip, when I had picked up 

 enough of their language to be able to talk a 

 3 



