DISCOVERY OF LAKE NGAMI. 75 



They have always fires in them, and prefer sleeping in them 

 while on a journey to spending the night on shore. " On land 

 you have lions," say they, " serpents, hygenas, and your ene- 

 mies ; but in your canoe, behind a bank of reed, nothing can 

 harm you." Their submissive disposition leads to their villages 

 being frequently visited by hungry strangers. We had a pot on 

 the fire in the canoe by the way, and when we drew near the 

 villages devoured the contents. When fully satisfied ourselves, 

 I found we could all look upon any intruders with perfect com- 

 placency, and show the pot in proof of having devoured the last 

 morsel. 



While ascending in this way the beautifully-wooded river, we 

 came to a large stream flowing into it. This was the River Ta- 

 munak'le. I inquired whence it came. " Oh, from a country 

 full of rivers — so many no one can tell their number — and full of 

 large trees." This was the first confirmation of statements I had 

 heard from the Bakwains who had been with Sebituane, that the 

 country beyond was not " the large sandy plateau" of the philos- 

 ophers. The prospect of a highway capable of being traversed 

 by boats to an entirely unexplored and very populous region, 

 grew from that time forward stronger and stronger in my mind ; 

 so much so that, when we actually came to the lake, this idea oc- 

 cupied such a large portion of my mental vision that the actual 

 discovery seemed of but little importance. I find I wrote, when 

 the emotions caused by the magnificent prospects of the new coun- 

 try were first awakened in my breast, that they "might subject 

 me to the charge of enthusiasm, a charge which I wished I de- 

 served, as nothing good or great had ever been accomplished in 

 the world without it."* 



Twelve days after our departure from the wagons at Ngabi- 

 sane we came to the northeast end of Lake Ngami ; and on the 

 1st of August, 1849, we went down together to the broad part, 

 and, for the first time, this fine-looking sheet of water was beheld 

 by Europeans. The direction of the lake seemed to be N.N.E. 

 and S.S.W. by compass. The southern portion is said to bend 

 round to the west, and to receive the Teoughe from the north at 



* Letters published by the Royal Geographical Society. Read 1 1th February and 

 8th April, 1850. 



