72 NCHOKOTSA AND THE ZOUGA. 



about them. Cupidity is a hypocrite in Africa and everywhere. 

 Sekomi feared Livingstone would find the ivory : he pretended 

 to be afraid he would be lost in the desert. 



At Nchokotsa our travellers were entertained with a wonder- 

 ful and charming illusion. Passing out of a thick belt of trees 

 there burst upon their view what seemed to be a beautiful lake. 

 The setting sun was casting a lovely haze over the surface ; the 

 waves were seen as if dancing and rippling ; the shadows of the 

 trees were true as life. The reward of their toil seemed at 

 hand. They were disappointed on finding that there was no 

 lake, no water — only a great salt-pan. The wonderful mirage 

 had deceived them. Over and over as they passed northward 

 were they deceived in the same manner. The object of their 

 quest was still far away. 



At length they struck the river Zouga, flowing by the village 

 of Bakarutse. The people of the village informed them that 

 this noble river flowed from the lake. Now, then, they had the 

 thread — an unerring guide. They had water; success was a 

 matter only of days and life. When they had passed along 

 this river nearly a hundred miles, they met the hospitality of 

 the lake chief. The tribes had received orders to give to the 

 travellers all desired aid, and expedite his advance with all 

 readiness. The Bakoba was found to be one of the most inter- 

 esting of these tribes. They are the men of peace, the " Quakers 

 of Africa." Their pride is in their canoes. All day they de- 

 light to strike their supple oars into the beautiful water of their 

 river ; at night they love to sleep in their boats, safely fastened 

 in the stream. The river Tamunak'le flows into the Zouga. 

 The party passed its mouth; it flows down from "a country 

 full of rivers." It was the 1st day of August, 1849, when our 

 travellers went down together and looked on the broad Lake 

 Ngami. The discovery of this lake was pronounced to eclipse 

 all preceding discovery in Southern Africa. This point fur- 

 nished the key to all the lower portion of the continent, and 

 contributed greatly to the interest of African travel, while it 

 invited a deeper interest in trade. This discovery associated the 

 name of Livingstone with the noblest explorers of history. 



This lake is estimated to be nearly a hundred miles in cir- * 

 cumference. It lies about two hundred feet above the level of 



