226 WE ARE ORDERED TO RETURN. [chap. vni. 



this day wlietlier or no the Ovampo have any religion, 

 for Chik was frightened and angry if the subject of 

 death was alluded to. 



My articles of exchange were now reduced to a few 

 handfuls of beads ; and I could not stay longer in the 

 country. A man can no more travel without things of 

 exchange here than he can without money in England. 

 I therefore insisted upon being allowed to leave 

 Ondonga, where my cattle were dying by inches, and 

 where I was eating up ray food, and could afford to 

 stay no longer ; and I begged hard for a guide to take 

 me on to the river, or to some place where I should find 

 pasturage and game. 



June 13i/i. — Nangoro sent me word " that day I 

 might buy and sell ; that the next day I must come 

 and take leave of him ; and the day after that I must 

 go back to Damara-land." 



Now came the question what was to be done. The 

 river was four long days ahead. It was a goal to reach, 

 and in itself probably well worth visiting. Its com- 

 mercial importance might be great, as it appears to 

 offer a liigh road into the very centre of Africa, through 

 countries which, if as healthy as Ovampo or Damara- 

 land, leave nothing to be desired on that score. It was 

 precisely the most interesting point of my whole journey. 

 Ought then a visit to it to be abandoned because 

 Nangoro would not let us go ? Or ought we to push 

 on for it at all hazards ? On the other hand, the river 

 -was well known to, and frequented by traders from 

 Benguela; there would therefore be no difficulty in 

 fully exploring it from that side ; and probably infinitely 



