ANT-HILLS.— DATE-TREES. 221 



CHAPTER XI. 



Departure from Linyanti for Sesheke. — Level Country. — Ant-hills. — Wild Date- 

 trees. — Appearance of our Attendants on the March. — The Chief's Guard. — They 

 attempt to ride on Ox-back. — Vast Herds of the new Antelopes, Leches, and Na- 

 kongs. — The native way of hunting them. — Reception at the Villages. — Presents 

 of Beer and Milk. — Eating with the Hand. — The Chief provides the Oxen for 

 Slaughter. — Social Mode of Eating. — The Sugar-cane. — Sekeletu's novel Test of 

 Character. — Cleanliness of Makololo Huts. — Their Construction and Appearance. 

 — The Beds. — Cross the Leeambye. — Aspect of this part of the Country. — The 

 small Antelope Tianyane unknown in the South. — Hunting on foot. — An Eland. 



Having waited a month at Linjanti (lat. 18° 17 / 20" S., long. 

 23° 50' 9" E.), we again departed, for the purpose of ascending 

 the river from Sesheke (lat. 17° 31' 38" S., long. 25° 13' E.). 

 To the Barotse country, the capital of which is Nariele or Naliele 

 (lat. 15° 24' 17" S., long. 23° 5' 54" E.), I went in company with 

 Sekeletu and about one hundred and sixty attendants. We had 

 most of the young men with us, and many of the under-chiefs 

 besides. The country between Linyanti and Sesheke is perfectly 

 flat, except patches elevated only a few feet above the surrounding 

 level. There are also many mounds where the gigantic ant-hills 

 of the country have been situated or still appear : these mounds 

 are evidently the work of the termites. No one who has not 

 seen their gigantic structures can fancy the industry of these 

 little laborers ; they seem to impart fertility to the soil which 

 has once passed through their mouths, for the Makololo find the 

 sides of ant-hills the choice spots for rearing early maize, tobacco, 

 or any thing on which they wish to bestow especial care. In the 

 parts through which we passed the mounds are generally covered 

 with masses of wild date-trees ; the fruit is small, and no tree is 

 allowed to stand long, for, having abundance of food, the Mako- 

 lolo have no inclination to preserve wild fruit-trees ; accordingly, 

 when a date shoots up to seed, as soon as the fruit is ripe they 

 cut down the tree rather than be at the trouble of climbing it. 

 The other parts of the more elevated land have the camel-thorn 

 (Acacia giraffce), white-thorned mimosa (Acacia horrida), and 

 baobabs. In sandy spots there are palmyras somewhat similar 



