212 ISLANDS— THE BANYETI. Chap. XII. 



old doctor of the Makololo had his canoe filled by one of these 

 waves, and, being unable to swim, was lost; the Barotse who 

 were in the canoe with him saved themselves by swimming, and 

 were afraid of being punished with death in the evening for not 

 saving the doctor as well. Had he been a man of more influence, 

 they certainly would have suffered death. 



We proceeded rapidly up the river, and I felt the pleasure of 

 looking on lands which had never been seen by an European 

 before. The river is, indeed, a magnificent one, often more 

 than a mile broad, and adorned with many islands of from three 

 to five miles in length. Both islands and banks are covered with 

 forest, and most of the trees on the brink of the water send 

 down roots from their branches like the banian, or Fieus Indica. 

 The islands at a little distance seem great rounded masses of 

 sylvan vegetation reclining on the bosom of the glorious stream. 

 The beauty of the scenery of some of the islands is greatly in- 

 creased by the date-palm, with its gracefully curved fronds and 

 refreshing light-green colour, near the bottom of the picture, and 

 the lofty palmyra towering far above, and casting its feathery 

 foliage against a cloudless sky. It being winter, we had the 

 strange colouring on the banks which many parts of African 

 landscape assume. The country adjacent to the river is rocky 

 and undulating, abounding in elephants and all the other large 

 game, except leches and nakongs, which seem generally to avoid 

 stony ground. The soil is of a reddish colour, and very fertile, 

 as is attested by the great quantity of grain raised annually by 

 the Banyeti. A great many villages of this poor and very in- 

 dustrious people are situated on both banks of the river ; they 

 are expert hunters of the hippopotami and other animals, and 

 very proficient in the manufacture of articles of wood and iron. 

 The whole of this part of the country being infested with the 

 tsetse, they are unable to rear domestic animals. This may 

 have led to their skill in handicraft works. Some make large 

 wooden vessels with very neat lids, and wooden bowls of all 

 sizes; and since the idea of sitting on stools has entered the 

 Makololo mind, they have shown great taste in the different 

 forms given to the legs of these pieces of furniture. 



Other Banyeti, or Manyeti, as they are called, make neat and 

 strong baskets of the split roots of a certain tree, whilst others 



