182 CROSSING THE LEEBA. 



the country to another show that the great chiefs possess 

 only a limited power. The only peculiarity we observed in 

 these people is the habit of plaiting the beard into a throe- 

 fold cord. 



The town of the Balonda chief Cazembe was pointed 

 out to us as lying to the N.E. and by E. from the town of 

 Shinte, and great numbers of people in this quarter ha^e 

 gone thither for the purpose of purchasing copper anklets, 

 made at Cazembe's, and report the distanced be about five 

 days' journey. 



It took us about four hours to cross the Leeba, which is 

 considerably smaller here than where we left it, — indeed, 

 only about a hundred yards wide. It has the same dark 

 mossy hue. The villagers lent us canoes to effect our pass- 

 age; and, having gone to a village about two miles beyond 

 the river, I had the satisfaction of getting observations for 

 both longitude and latitude, — for the former, the distance 

 between Saturn and the moon, and for the latter, a meridian 

 altitude of Canopus. Long. 22° 57' E., lat. 12° 6' 6" S. 



Here we were surprised to hear English cotton cloth 

 much more eagerly inquired after than beads and orna- 

 ments. They are more in need of clothing than the Be- 

 chuana tribes living adjacent to the Kalahari Desert, who 

 have plenty of skins for the purpose. Animals of all kinds 

 are rare here, and a very small piece of calico is of great 

 value. 



As the people on the banks of the Leeba were the last 

 of Shinte's tribe over which Intemese had power, he was 

 naturally anxious to remain as long as possible. He was 

 not idle, but made a large wooden mortar and pestle for 

 his wife during our journey. He also carved many wooden 

 spoons and a bowl; then commenced a basket; but, as 

 what he considered good living was any thing but agreeable 

 to us, who had been accustomed to milk and maize, we went 

 forward on the 2d without him. He soon followed, but left 

 our pontoon, saying it would be brought by the head-man 

 of the village. This was a great loss, as we afterward 



