KECEPTION AT VILLAGES. 223 



eighteen inches wide and about fifteen feet long ; their paddles, ten 

 feet in height, are of a kind of wood called molompi, very light, 

 yet as elastic as ash. With these they either punt or paddle, ac- 

 cording to the shallowness or depth of the water. When they 

 perceive the antelopes beginning to move they increase their speed, 

 and pursue them with great velocity. They make the water 

 dash away from the gunwale, and, though the leche goes off by a 

 succession of prodigious bounds, its feet appearing to touch the 

 bottom at each spring, they manage to spear great numbers of 

 them. 



The nakong often shares a similar fate. This is a new species, 

 rather smaller than the leche, and in shape has more of paunchi- 

 ness than any antelope I ever saw. Its gait closely resembles the 

 gallop of a dog when tired. The hair is long and rather sparse, 

 so that it is never sleek-looking. It is of a grayish-brown color, 

 and has horns twisted in the manner of a koodoo, but much 

 smaller, and with a double ridge winding round each of them. 



Its habitat is the marsh and the muddy bogs ; the great length 

 of its foot between the point of the toe and supplemental hoofs en- 

 ables it to make a print about a foot in length ; it feeds by night, 

 and lies hid among the reeds and rushes by day ; when pursued, 

 it dashes into sedgy places containing water, and immerses the 

 whole body, leaving only the point of the nose and ends of the 

 horns exposed. The hunters burn large patches of reed in order 

 to drive the nakong out of his lair ; occasionally the ends of the 

 horns project above the water ; but when it sees itself surrounded 

 by enemies in canoes, it will rather allow its horns to be scorched 

 in the burning reed than come forth from its hiding-place. 



When we arrived at any village the women all turned out to 

 lulliloo their chief. Their shrill voices, to which they give a trem- 

 ulous sound by a quick motion of the tongue, peal forth, " Great 

 lion!" "Great chief!" "Sleep, my lord!" etc. The men utter 

 similar salutations ; and Sekeletu receives all with becoming in- 

 difference. After a few minutes' conversation and telling the news, 

 the head man of the village, who is almost always a Makololo, 

 rises, and brings forth a number of large pots of beer. Calabash- 

 es, being used as drinking-cups, are handed round, and as many 

 as can partake of the beverage do so, grasping the vessels so eager- 

 ly that they are in danger of being broken. 



