226 THE LEEAMBYE. 



Our course at this time led us to a part above Sesheke, called 

 Katonga, where there is a village belonging to a Bashubia man 

 named Sekhosi— latitude 17° 29' 13", longitude 24° 33'. The 

 river here is somewhat broader than at Sesheke, and certainly 

 not less than six hundred yards. It flows somewhat slowly in the 

 first part of its eastern course. When the canoes came from Sek- 

 hosi to take us over, one of the comrades of Sebituane rose, and, 

 looking to Sekeletu, called out, " The elders of a host always 

 take the lead in an attack." This was understood at once; and 

 Sekeletu, with all the young men, were obliged to give the elders 

 the precedence, and remain on the southern bank and see that all 

 went orderly into the canoes. It took a considerable time to ferry 

 over the whole of our large party, as, even with quick paddling, 

 from six to eight minutes were spent in the mere passage from 

 bank to bank. 



Several days were spent in collecting canoes from different vil- 

 lages on the river, which we now learned is called by the whole 

 of the Barotse the Liambai or Leeambye. Tliis we could not 

 ascertain on our first visit, and, consequently, called the river after 

 the town "Sesheke." This term Sesheke means "white sand- 

 banks," many of which exist at this part. There is another vil- 

 lage in the valley of the Barotse likewise called Sesheke, and for 

 the same reason; but the term Leeambye means "the large 

 river," or the river jpar excellence. Luambeji, Luambesi, Ambezi, 

 Ojimbesi, and Zambesi, etc., are names applied to it at different 

 parts of its course, according to the dialect spoken, and all pos- 

 sess a similar signification, and express the native idea of this 

 magnificent stream being the main drain of the country. 



In order to assist in the support of our large party, and at the 

 same time to see the adjacent country, I went several times, 

 during our stay, to the north of the village for game. The 

 country is covered with clumps of beautiful trees, among which 

 fine open glades stretch away in every direction ; when the river 

 is in flood these are inundated, but the tree-covered elevated 

 spots are much more numerous here than in the country between 

 the Chobe and the Leeambye. The soil is dark loam, as it is 

 every where on spots reached by the inundation, while among the 

 trees it is sandy, and not covered so densely with grass as else- 

 where. A sandy ridge covered with trees, running parallel to, 



