114 THE LF.EAMBYE. 



minutes were spent in the mere passage from bank to 

 bank. 



Several days were spent in collecting canoes from dif- 

 ferent villages on the river, which we now learned is called 

 by the whole of the Barotse the Liambai or Leeambye. 

 This we could not ascertain on our first visit, and, conse- 

 quently, called the river after the town "Sesheke." This 

 term Sesheke means " white sand-banks," many of which 

 exist at this part. There is another village in the valley 

 of the Barotse likewise called Sesheke, and for the same 

 reason; but the term Leeambye means " the large river," 

 or the river par excellence. Luambeji, Luambesi, Ambezi, 

 Ojimbesi, and Zambesi, &c, are names applied to it at dif- 

 ferent parts of its course, according to the dialect spoken, 

 and all possess a similar signification, and express the na- 

 tive idea of this magnificent stream being the main drain 

 of the country. 



In order to assist in the support of our large party, and 

 at the same time to see the adjacent country, I went 

 several times, during our stay, to the north of the villago 

 for game. The country is covered with clumps of beauti- 

 ful trees, among which fine open glades stretch away in 

 every direction j when the river is in flood these are inun- 

 dated, hut the tree-covered elevated spots are much more 

 numerous here than in the country between the Chobe and 

 the Leeamhye. The soil is dark loam, as it is everywhere 

 on spots reached by the inundation, while among the trees 

 it is sandy, and not covered so densety with grass as else- 

 where. A sandy ridge covered with trees, running parallel 

 to and about eight miles from the river, is the limit of the 

 inundation on the north ; there are large tracts of this 

 sandy forest in that direction, till you come to other dis- 

 tricts of alluvial soil and fewer trees. The latter soil is 

 always found in the vicinity of rivers which either now 

 overflow their banks annually or formerly did so. The 

 people enjoy rain in sufficient quantity to raise very large 

 supplies of grain and groundnuts. 



