iS49-5--] KOLOBENG—LAKE 'NGAMI. 101 



forward stronger and stronger in my mind ; so much so, that when we 

 actually came to the lake, this idea occupied such a large portion of 

 my mental vision, that the actual discovery seemed of but little 

 importance. I find I wrote, when the emotions caused by the 

 magnificent prospects of the new country were first awakened in my 

 breast, that they ' might subject me to the charge of enthusiasm, a 

 charge which I wished I deserved, as nothing good or great had ever 

 been accomplished in the world without it.'" 1 



Twelve days after, the travellers carne to the north- 

 east end of Lake 'Ngami, and it was on 1st August 1849 

 that this fine sheet of water was beheld for the first time 

 by Europeans. It was of such magnitude that they 

 could not see the farther shore, and they could only 

 guess its size from the reports of the natives that it took 

 three days to go round it. 



Lechulatebe, the chief who had sent him the invita- 

 tion, was quite a young man, and his reception by no 

 means corresponded to what the invitation implied. He 

 had no idea of Livingstone going on to Sebituane, who 

 lived two hundred miles farther north, and perhaps 

 supplying him with fire-arms which would make him a 

 more dangerous neighbour. He therefore refused Living- 

 stone guides to Sebituane, and sent men to prevent him 

 from crossing the river. Livingstone was not to be balked, 

 and worked many hours in the river trying to make a raft 

 out of some rotten wood, — at the imminent risk of his life, 

 as he afterwards found, for the Zouga abounds with alliga- 

 tors. The season was now far advanced, and as Mr. swell 

 volunteered to go down to the Cape and bring up a boat 

 next year, the expedition was abandoned for the time. 



Returning home by the Zouga, they had better oppor- 

 tunity to mark the extraordinary richness of the country, 

 and the abundance and luxuriance of its products, both 

 animal and vegetable. Elephants existed in crowds, 

 and ivory was so abundant that a trader was purchasing 

 it at the rate of ten tusks for a musket worth fifteen 



1 Missionary Travels, p. 65. 



