Chap. XVII. LOAN OF ROOF&— A HALT. 311 



which unite, and form the deep, never-failing Chobe. Similar 

 extensive flats give birth to the Loeti and Kasai, and, as we shall 

 see further on, all the rivers of an extensive region owe their 

 origin to oozing bogs, and not to fountains. 



When released from our island by the rain ceasing, we 

 marched on, till we came to a ridge of dry inhabited land in the 

 N.W. The inhabitants, according to custom, lent us the roofs 

 of some huts to save the men the trouble of booth-making. I 

 suspect that the story in Park's ' Travels,' of the men lifting up 

 the hut to place it on the lion, referred to the roof only. We 

 leave them for the villagers to replace at their leisure. No 

 payment is expected for the use of them. By night it rained 

 so copiously, that all our beds were flooded from below ; and 

 from this time forth we always made a furrow round each booth, 

 and used the earth to raise our sleeping-places. My men turned 

 out to work in the wet most willingly ; indeed they always did. 

 I could not but contrast their conduct with that of Intemese. 

 He was thoroughly imbued with the slave spirit, and lied on all 

 occasions without compunction. Untruthfulness is a sort of 

 refuge for the weak and oppressed. We expected to move on 

 the 4th, but he declared that we were so near Katema's, if we 

 did not send forward to apprise that chief of our approach, he 

 would certainly impose a fine. It rained the whole day, so we 

 were reconciled to the delay ; but on Sunday, the 5th, he let us 

 know that we were still two days distant from Katema. We 

 unfortunately could not manage without him, for the country 

 was so deluged, we should have been brought to a halt before 

 we went many miles, by some deep valley, every one of which 

 was full of water. Intemese continued to plait his basket with 

 all his might, and would not come to our religious service. He 

 seemed to be afraid of our incantations ; but was always merry 

 and jocular. 



6th. — Soon after starting we crossed a branch of the Loka- 

 lueje by means of a canoe, and in the afternoon passed over the 

 main stream by a like conveyance. The former, as is the case 

 with all branches of rivers in this country, is called iluana Kalu- 

 eje (child of the Kalueje). Hippopotami exist in the Lokalueje, 

 so it may be inferred to be perennial, as the inhabitants asserted. 

 We cannot judge of the size of the stream from what we now 



