118 RAPIDS AND FALLS. 



they have ever been warlike. Indeed, the wars vn the 

 centre of the country, where no slave-trade existed, have 

 seldom been about any thing else but cattle. So well 

 known is this, that several tribes refuse to keep cattle, 

 because they tempt their enemies to come and steal 

 Nevertheless, they have no objection to eat them when 

 offered, and their country admits of being well stocked. I 

 have heard of but one war having occurred from another 

 cause. Three brothers, Barolongs, fought for the possession 

 of a woman who was considered worth a battle, and the 

 tribe has remained permanently divided ever since. 



From the bend up to the north, called Katima-molelo, (I 

 quenched fire,) the bed of the river is rocky, and the 

 stream runs fast, forming a succession of rapids and cata- 

 racts, which prevent continuous navigation when the 

 water is low. The rapids are not visible when the river 

 is full, but the cataracts of Nambwc, Bomb we, and Kale 

 must always be dangerous. The fall at each of these is 

 between four and six feet. But the falls of Gonye present 

 a much more serious obstacle. There we were obliged to 

 take the canoes out of the water, and carry them more 

 than a mile by land. The fall is about thirty feet. The 

 main body of water, which comes over the ledge of rock 

 when the river is low, is collected into a space seventy or 

 eighty yards wide before it takes the leap, and, a mass of 

 rock being thrust forward against the roaring torrent, a 

 loud sound is produced. 



As we passed up the river, the different villages of Ban- 

 yeti turned out to present Sekeletu with food and skins, as 

 their tx-ibute. One large village is placed at Gonye, the 

 inhabitants of which are required to assist the Makololo 

 to cany their canoes past the falls. The tsetse here 

 lighted on us even in the middle of the stream. This 

 we crossed repeatedly, in order to make short cuts at 

 bends of the river. The course is, however, remarkably 

 straight among the rocks; and here the river is shallow, 

 on account of the great breadth of surface which it covers. 



