ANT-HILLS. 109 



tike race. Such cases are the only ones in which the pos- 

 session of fire-arms does evil. The universal effect of the dif- 

 fusion of the more potent instruments of warfare in Africa 

 is the same as among ourselves. Fire-arms render wars less 

 frequent and less bloody. It is indeed exceedingly rare to 

 hear of two tribes having guns going to war with each other; 

 and, as nearly all the feuds, in the south at least, have been 

 about cattle, the risk which must be incurred from long 

 shots generally proves a preventive to the foray. 



The Makololo were prevailed upon to keep the peace 

 during my residence with them, but it was easy to per- 

 ceive that public opinion was against sparing a tribe of 

 Bechuanas for whom the Makololo entertained the most 

 sovereign contempt. The young men would remark, 

 "Lechulatebe is herding our cows for us; let us only go, 

 we shall 'lift' the price of them in sheep," &c. 



CHAPTEE XL 



DR. LIVINGSTONE LEAVES LINYANTI. 



Having waited a month at Linyanti, (lat. 18° 17' 20" S., 

 long. 23° 50' 9" E.,) we again departed, for the purpose of 

 ascending the river from Sesheke, (lat. 17° 31' 38" S., long. 

 25° 13' E.) To the Barotse country, the capital of which 

 is Nariele or Naliele, (lat. 15° 24' 17" S., long. 23° 5' 54" E.,) 

 1 went in company with Sekeletu and about one hundred 

 and sixty attendants. "We had most of the young men 

 with us, and many of the under-chiefs besides. The country 

 between Linyanti and Sesheke is perfectly flat, except 

 patches elevated only a few feet above the surrounding 

 level. There are also many mounds where the gigantic 

 ant-hills of the country have been situated or still appear: 

 these mounds are evidently the work of the termites. No 

 one who has not seen their gigantic structures can fancy 



10 



