252 BANKS OF THE CHOBE.— TREES. 



the rogue elephants, are extremely dangerous. We came, at 

 this time, to a canoe which had been smashed to pieces by a 

 blow from the hind foot of one of them. I was informed by 

 my men that, in the event of a similar assault being made upon 

 ours, the proper way was to dive to the bottom of the river, and 

 hold on there for a few seconds, because the hippopotamus, after 

 breaking a canoe, always looks for the people on the surface, 

 and, if he sees none, he soon moves off. I have seen some 

 frightful gashes made on the legs of the people who have had 

 the misfortune to be attacked, and were unable to dive. This 

 animal uses his teeth as an offensive weapon, though he is quite 

 a herbivorous feeder. One of these " bachelors," living near the 

 confluence, actually came out of his lair, and, putting his head 

 down, ran after some of our men who were passing with very 

 considerable speed. 



The part of the river called Zabesa, or Zabenza, is spread out 

 like a little lake, surrounded on all sides by dense masses of tall 

 reeds. The river below that is always one hundred or one hund- 

 red and twenty yards broad, deep, and never dries up so much 

 as to become fordable. At certain parts, where the partial absence 

 of reeds affords a view of the opposite banks, the Makololo have 

 placed villages of observation against their enemies the Mate- 

 bele. We visited all these'! in succession, and found here, as 

 every where in the Makololo country, orders had preceded us, 

 " that Nake (fiake means doctor) must not be allowed to become 

 hungry. " 



The banks of the Chobe, like those of the Zouga, are of soft 

 calcareous tufa, and the river has cut out for itself a deep, per- 

 pendicular-sided bed. Where the banks are high, as at the spot 

 where the wagons stood in 1851, they are covered with magnificent 

 trees, the habitat of tsetse, and the retreat of various antelopes, 

 wild hogs, zebras, buffaloes, and elephants. 



Among the trees may be observed some species of the Ficus 

 Indica, light-green colored acacias, the splendid motsintsela, 

 and evergreen cypress-shaped motsouri. The fruit of the last- 

 named was ripe, and the villagers presented many dishes of its 

 beautiful pink-colored plums ; they are used chiefly to form a 

 pleasant acid drink. The motsintsela is a very lofty tree, 

 yielding a wood of which good canoes are made ; the fruit is 



