TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 439 



At the time Livingstone first visited this part of Africa, it had recently been 

 conquered by Chibitano (or Sebituane), who induced the native tribes to confede- 

 rate, thus constituting a powerful empire. Six years afterwards, during- the Zam- 

 besi Expedition, when he visited Seskeke, Livingstone foretold the extinction 

 of the Makololos, which has since taken place. 



Whilst on the Zambesi, Major Pinto met with Machuana, who had been Living- 

 stone's companion on his journey to Loanda, and who, being at that time a slave 

 belonging to King Sekeletu, is now an important individual in his capacity of a 

 Luina. 



On the west the Zambesi does not receive between the Liba (Leeba) and the 

 Ouando any other affluents, except the Lungo-e-ungo, and the Nhengo. The latter 

 is formed by the junction of three rivers: the Ninda, the Loati, and the Luangu- 

 inga. From the confluence of the Cuando as far as Victoria Falls, it receives only 

 one small stream close to the cataract. South of the Zambesi and the Cuando, the 

 land-surface of the country, which from Bihe had declined some 1,200 feet, began 

 slightly to rise again, and exhibited a rich vegetation. But as far as population is 

 concerned, this part of the country is a desert ; and only two settlements were met 

 with, constituting two small villages, Luchuma and Daka, the latter being situated 

 on a different spot from the village bearing the same name, and formerly existing 

 there. 



The policy adopted by the Matabeli does not permit of the settling of any tribe 

 on the southern border of the Zambesi. This powerful Zulu tribe look upon that 

 great river as their natural frontier of defence against their enemies the Luinas, and 

 even they themselves do not settle in that country, in consequence of the bad fevers 

 prevailing all along the river banks-. The soil, however, is fertile ; but the country 

 can never expect a prosperous future, not only in consequence of its climate, but 

 because of the difficulty of access to it from any point on the African coast. Here 

 Major Pinto met Dr. Benjamin Bradshaw, an English zoologist, and Jose Anchietta, 

 a Portuguese explorer, resident in Africa for eleven years, who holds an official 

 position under the Portuguese Government, and is employed making scientific 

 collections for the Zoological Museum in Lisbon. He also met with a French 

 missionary, M. Coillard, with his wife, a Scotch lady, and their niece, in whose 

 company he made his journey across from the Zambesi to the Bamangwato country, 

 and visited the famous Makarikari, the enormous basin into which run and are 

 evaporated the waters of many different rivers coming from opposite points of 

 African soil. There ends the Botletle, which is nothing else than the Cubango 

 after having made its passage through Lake Ngami. On arriving at Shoshong, the 

 chief town of the Bamangwato, he found its position very different from that which 

 it occupies on maps, as regards longitude. 



His journey from Shoshong to Pretoria was full of incident; and no less in- 

 teresting was that from Pretoria to Natal, during which he had as companion 

 Lieutenant Barker, of the 5th West York. 



Major Pinto has only given one new name during his whole journey, viz. 

 Baines's Desert, as he terms the country crossed between the Botletle and the 

 Zambesi; desiring to render honour to Thomas Baines, one of those who have 

 worked most laboriously in the interior of Southern Africa. 



Some small zoological collections were made ; but the traveller's attention wa s 

 specially given to the different races, customs, and habits which he had the oppor- 

 tunity of observing during the course of his journey. 



2. The Basin of the Ogowe. Bij M. Savorgnan de Beazza. 



The largest area in Africa now unexplored is to the north of the equator from 

 the Congo to Lake Chad, and from the Ogow6, on the western side to the country 

 of the Nyam-Nyam, visited by Dr. Schweinfurth. From the western coast this 

 unknown region has been entered by the French Expedition under M. Savorgnan de 

 Brazza and Dr. Ballay, which left Bordeaux in August, 1875, to explore the whole 

 course of the river Ogowe, reaching the Gaboon on October 20. They succeeded in 

 hiring canoes, and commenced the ascent of the river in the following year, making 



