Chap. XI. EECEPTTON AT VILLAGES. 205 



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

 ten feet in length, are of a kind of wood called molompi, very 

 light, yet as elastic as ash. With these they either print or 

 paddle, according 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 greyish-brown colour, 

 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 

 enables 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 im- 

 merses 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 

 tremulous sound by a quick motion of the tongue, peal forth 

 " Great lion! " " Great chief! " " Sleep, my lord ! " &c. The men 

 utter similar salutations ; and Sekeletu receives all with becoming 

 indifference. After a few minutes' conversation and telling the 

 news, the head man of the village, who is almost always a Mako- 

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

 bashes, being used as drinking-cups, are handed round, and as 

 many as can partake of the beverage do so, grasping the vessels 

 so eagerly that they are in danger of being broken. 



