A BECHUANA BIVOUAC. 283 



It was now night, and the king said that he would 

 sleep by the wagons, as it was too late to go home. 

 A number of his men prepared for the bivouac, some 

 collecting logs for the nocturnal watch-fire, which the 

 Bechuanas invariably keep up, while others were occu- 

 pied in forming circular hedges of thorny branches 

 around the fires, within which they carefully leveled 

 the ground with pointed sticks, preparatory to spread- 

 ing out their couches, which consist of long, dried grass, 

 and extend in a circular form around the fire. On 

 these couches the Bechuanas sleep, with the soles of 

 their feet to the fire, with no other covering than a light 

 kaross. They lie huddled together like silver spoons on 

 a tray> and the number of individuals around each fire 

 is usually about a dozen. Before retiring to rest I in- 

 formed Sicomy that I should march on the morrow as 

 soon as my oxen had drunk, and I expressed my wish 

 •to trade with his people for karosses and armor at an 

 early hour. Sicomy promised that these articles should 

 be forthcoming, and at once informed his people of my 

 wish. 



At an early hour on the morning of the 5th, I com- 

 menced to trade with Sicomy's men for karosses and 

 Bechuana arms, of each of which I obtained some very 

 fine specimens. With these, as with the ivory, there 

 was considerable discussion before the prices could be 

 agreed on in the first instance, after which exchanges 

 were effected rapidly. I had, however, to pay them 

 long prices for their "chakas" or battle-axes, on which 

 all the Bechuana tribes place a very great value. 



I had intended to penetrate beyond Bamangwato, 

 with a wish to explore the country, and for the purpose 

 of hunting elephants; but, owing to gross misrepre- 

 sentations made to rae by Isaac relative to Sicomy's 



