148 DEPAETUKE FROM BAKWAIN COUNTRY. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Departure from the Country of the Bakwains. — Large black Ant. — Land Tor- 

 toises. — Diseases of wild Animals. — Habits of old Lions. — Cowardice of the 

 Lion. — Its Dread of a Snare. — Major Vardon's Note. — The Roar of the Lion re- 

 sembles the Cry of the Ostrich. — Seldom attacks full-grown Animals. — Buffaloes 

 and Lions. — Mice. — Serpents. — Treading on one. — Venomous and harmless Va- 

 rieties. — Fascination. — Sekomi's Ideas of Honesty. — Ceremony of the Sechu for 

 Boys. — The Boyale for young Women. — Bamangwato Hills. — The Unicorn's 

 Pass. — The Country beyond. — Grain. — Scarcity of Water. — Honorable Conduct 

 of English Gentlemen. — Gordon Cumming's hunting Adventures. — A Word of 

 Advice for young Sportsmen. — Bushwomen drawing Water. — Ostrich. — Silly 

 Habit. — Paces. — Eggs. — Food. 



Having remained five days with the wretched Bakwains, see- 

 ing the effects of war, of which only a very inadequate idea can 

 ever be formed by those who have not been eye-witnesses of its 

 miseries, we prepared to depart on the 15th of January, 1853. 

 Several dogs, in better condition by far than any of the people, 

 had taken up their residence at the water. No one would own 

 them ; there they had remained, and, coming on the trail of the 

 people, long after their departure from the scene of conflict, it was 



plain they had 



' ' Held o'er the dead their carnival." 



Hence the disgust with which they were viewed. 



On our way from Khopong, along the ancient river-bed which 

 forms the pathway to Boatlanama, I found a species of cactus, be- 

 ing the third I have seen in the country, namely, one in the colo- 

 ny with a bright red flower, one at Lake Ngami, the flower of which 

 was liver-colored, and the present one, flower unknown. That 

 the plant is uncommon may be inferred from the fact that the 

 Bakwains find so much difficulty in recognizing the plant again 

 after having once seen it, that they believe it has the power of 

 changing its locality. 



On the 21st of January we reached the wells of Boatlanama, 

 and found them for the first time empty. Lopepe, which I had for- 

 merly seen a stream running from a large reedy pool, was also dry. 

 The hot salt spring of Serinane, east of Lopepe, being undrinkable, 



