116 ASCENT OF THE LEEAMBYE. 



CHAPTEJR XII. 



DR. LIVINGSTONE ASCENDS THE LEEAMBYE, AND DETERMINES 

 TO OPEN A COMMUNICATION WITH THE WEST COAST OF 

 AFRICA. 



Having at last procured a sufficient number of canoes, 

 we began to ascend the river. I had the choice of the 

 whole fleet, and selected the best, though not the largest; 

 it was thirty-four feet long by twenty inches wide. I had 

 six paddlers, and the larger canoe of Sekeletu had ten. 

 They stand upright, and keep the stroke with great pre- 

 cision, though they change from side to side as the course 

 demands. The men at the head and stern are selected from 

 the strongest and most expert of the whole. The canoes, 

 being flat-bottomed, can go into very shallow water; and 

 whenever the men can feel the bottom they use the paddles, 

 which are about eight feet long, as poles to punt with. 

 Our fleet consisted of thirty-three canoes, and about one 

 hundred and sixty men. It was beautiful to see them 

 skimming along so quickly and keeping the time so well. 

 On land the Makalala fear the Makololo; on water the 

 Makololo fear them, and cannot prevent them from racing 

 with each other, dashing along at the top of their speed 

 and placing their masters' lives in danger. In the event 

 of a capsize, many of the Makololo would sink like stones. 

 A case of this kind happened on the first day of our voyage 

 up. The wind, blowing generally from the east, raises very 

 large waves on the Leeambye. An old doctor of the Mako- 

 lolo had his cano? filled by one of these waves, and, being 

 unable to swim, was lost. The Barotse who were in the 

 canoe with him saved themselves by swimming, and were 

 afraid of being punished with death in the evening for rot 

 saving the doctor as well. Had he been a man of moru 

 influence, they certainly would have suffered death. 



