CHAP. VII.] WE REACH ONDONGA. 205 



day-break, passing an empty well at eleven, and 

 another a little later. We pushed through tliick 

 thorns the whole time, and had begun to disbelieve in 

 Ondonga, when quite of a sudden the bushes ceased : 

 we emerged out of them, and the charming corn- 

 country of the Ovampo lay yellow and broad as a sea 

 before us. Fine dense timber-trees, and innumerable 

 palms of all sizes, were scattered over it ; jDart was 

 bare for pasturage, part was thicldy covered with high 

 corn stubble ; palisadings, each of wloich enclosed a 

 homestead, were scattered everywhere over the country. 

 The general appearance was that of most abundant 

 fertility. It was a land of Goshen to us ; and even 

 my phlegmatic waggon-driver burst out into excla- 

 mations of delight. Old Netjo's house was the nearest, 

 and he therefore claimed the right of entertaining me 

 the first, and to it we went. He had two or three wives, 

 and a most wonderfully large family, to every member 

 of which he presented us. Then he took Andersson 

 and myself over the establishment, and showed us his 

 neat granaries and thrasliing-floors, and his cocks and 

 hens : the pigs, he regretted, had been sent out of the 

 way ; and lastly, Mrs. Netjo, No. 1, produced a dish of 

 hot dough and a basin of som* milk, on which we set 

 to work, burning our fingers as we pulled off large bits, 

 which we dipped into the milk and swallowed. Then 

 we went on to Chik's house, who encamped us under a 

 magnificent tree, and took our cattle under his charge. 

 He told me that we were still a long day's journey 

 from Nangoro, and that the whole of our way there 

 would lie through a corn country like this. 



