SAND-KIVEB TANGWE. QQQ 



may have been carried off by a lion, as this part of the country is 

 full of them. I incline to the former opinion, because sudden in- 

 sanity occurs when there is any unusual strain upon their minds. 

 Monahin was in command of the Batoka of Mokwine in my par- 

 ty, and he was looked upon with great dislike by all that chief's 

 subjects. The only difficulties I had with them arose in conse- 

 quence of being obliged to give orders through him. They said 

 Mokwine is reported to have been killed by the Makololo, but 

 Monahin is the individual who put forth his hand and slew him. 

 When one of these people kills in battle, he seems to have no 

 compunction afterward; but when he makes a foray on his own 

 responsibility, and kills a man of note, the common people make 

 remarks to each other, which are reported to him, and bring the 

 affair perpetually to his remembrance. This iteration on the 

 conscience causes insanity, and when one runs away in a wide 

 country like this, the fugitive is never heard of. Monahin had 

 lately become afraid of his own party from overhearing their re- 

 marks, and said more than once to me, "They want to kill me." 

 I believe if he ran to any village they would take care of him. I 

 felt his loss greatly, and spent three days in searching for him. 

 He was a sensible and most obliging man. I sent in the morn- 

 ing to inform Monina of this sad event, and he at once sent to all 

 the gardens around, desiring the people to look for him, and, 

 should he come near, to bring him home. He evidently sympa- 

 thized with us in our sorrow, and, afraid lest we might suspect 

 him, added, " We never catch nor kidnap people here. It is not 

 our custom. It is considered as guilt among all the tribes." I 

 gave him credit for truthfulness, and he allowed us to move on 

 without farther molestation. 



After leaving his village we marched in the bed of a sand- 

 river a quarter of a mile broad, called Tangwe. Walking on this 

 sand is as fatiguing as walking on snow. The country is flat, 

 and covered with low trees, but we see high hills in the distance. 

 A little to the south we have those of the Lobole. This region 

 is very much infested by lions, and men never go any distance 

 into the woods alone. Having turned aside on one occasion at 

 midday, and gone a short distance among grass a little taller 

 than myself, an animal sprung away from me which was certainly 

 not an antelope, but I could not distinguish whether it was a lion 



