122 THE HERALD. 



inundated ; their gentle rise from the dead level of the 

 valley much resembles the edge of the Desert in the valley 

 of the Nile. 



I imagined the slight elevation (Katongo) might be 

 healthy, but was informed that no part of this region is 

 exempt from fever. When the waters begin to retire from 

 this valley, such masses of decayed vegetation and mud 

 are exposed to the torrid sun that even the natives suffer 

 severely from attacks of fever. The grass is so rank in 

 its growth that one cannot see the black alluvial soil of 

 the bottom of this periodical lake. Even when the grass 

 falls down in winter, or is " laid" by its own weight, one is 

 obliged to lift the feet so high, to avoid being trijmed up 

 by it, as to make walking excessively fatiguing. Young 

 leches are hidden beneath it by their dams; and the Mako- 

 lolo youth complain of being unable to run in the Barotse 

 land on this account. There was evidently no healthy 

 spot in this quarter; and, the current of the river being 

 about four and a half miles per hour, (one hundred yards 

 in sixty seconds,) I imagined we might find what we needed 

 in the higher lands, from which the river seemed to come. 

 I resolved, therefore, to go to the utmost limits of the Ba- 

 rotse country before coming to a final conclusion. Katongo 

 was the best place we had seen ; but, in order to accomplish 

 a complete examination, I left Sekeletu at Naliele, and 

 ascended the river. He furnished me with men, besides 

 my rowers, and among the rest a herald, that I might 

 enter his villages in what is considered a dignified manner. 

 This, it was supposed, would be effected by the herald 

 shouting out, at the top of his voice, "Here comes the lord, 

 the great lion;" the latter phrase being "tau e tona," 

 which, in his imperfect way of pronunciation, became 

 "sau e tona," and so like "the great sow" that I could not 

 receive the honor with becoming gravity, and had to 

 entreat him, much to the anno} r ance of my party, to be 

 fiilent. 



In our ascent we visited a number of Makololo villages, 



