134 DEPARTURE FROM BAKWAIN COUNTRY. Chai>. VII. 



CHAPTEK VII. 



Departure from the country of the Bakwains — Large black ant — Land 

 tortoises — Diseases of wild animals — Habits of old lions — Cowardice 

 of the lion — Its dread of a snare — Major Vardon's note — The roar 

 of the lion resembles the cry of the ostrich — Seldom attacks full-grown 

 animals — Buffaloes and lions — Mice — Serpents — Treading on one — 

 Venomous and harmless varieties — Fascination — Sekomi's ideas of 

 honesty — Ceremony of the Sechu for boys — The Boyale for young 

 women — Bamangwato hills — The Unicorn's Pass — The country beyond 



— Grain — Scarcity of water — Honourable conduct of English gentlemen 



— Gordon Cumming's hunting adventures — A word of advice for young 

 sportsmen — Bushwomen drawing water — Ostrich — Silly habit — Paces 



— Eggs — Food. 



Having remained five days with the wretched Bakwains, seeing 

 the effects of war, of which only a very inadequate idea can ever 

 be formed by those who have not been eye-witnesses of its miseries, 

 we prepared to depart on the 15th January, 1853. Several dogs, 

 in better condition by far than any of the people, had taken up 

 then* residence at the water. No one would own them ; there 

 they had remained, and, coming on the trail of the people, long 

 after their departure from the scene of conflict, it was plain they 



had 



" Held o'er the dead their carnival." 



Hence the disgust with which they were viewed. 



On our way from Khopong, along the ancient river-bed which 

 forms the pathway to Boatlanama, I found a species of cactus, 

 being the third I have seen in the country, — namely, one in the 

 colony with a bright red flower, one at Lake Ngami, the flower of 

 which was liver-coloured, and the present one, flower unknown. 

 That the plant is uncommon may be inferred from the fact that 

 the Bakwains find so much difficulty in recognising the plant again 

 after having once seen it, that they believe it has the power of 

 changing its locality. 



On the 21st January we reached the wells of Boatlanama, and 

 found them for the first time empty. Lopepe, which I had for- 

 merly seen a stream running from a large reedy pool, was also dry. 

 The hot salt spring of Serinane, east of Lopepe, being midrinkable, 



