THE DESERT AND THE CHOBE. 83 



ened the view." Two days passed, then Shobo began to 

 wander ; every now and then he would throw himself down, 

 crying : " No water, all country only ; Shobo sleeps ; he breaks 

 down ; only country." How shall we picture the agonies of 

 those days to the fmsband and father? Such a waste; a guide 

 whose mind wanders ; the water in the wagons nearly exhausted ; 

 the children crying for thirst ; the silent emblems of inexpressi- 

 ble anguish hanging on the eyelids of their mother. Four days 

 passed. They laid down in absolute helplessness, only praying 

 for the morning which they trembled to see. The fifth day, 

 toward evening, some of the men returned to the wagons with 

 a little of the precious liquid. No wonder it was esteemed God's 

 best gift. When the party reached the Mahabe they found 

 Shobo, who, with inimitable acting, assumed the dignity of 

 fathering the whole exploit, in the presence of the Bayeiye. 

 At Banajoa, the son of the head man volunteered to guide them 

 to the Chobe, in the country of Sebituane. They had exchanged 

 the dreary desolation for rivers and swamps and the fatal tsetse. 

 To the oxen it was escaping famishing, but death by a slow and 

 terrible poison. Singularly enough the bite of this fly does not 

 harm human beings. The wild animals of the country feed in 

 their midst unharmed ; so does the ass, the mule and the goat. 

 The horse dies in a few days after being bitten, and cattle are 

 its hopeless victims. 



At the Chobe Livingstone was met by delighted Makololo, who 

 conducted them joyfully to their chief. It is remarkable indeed 

 to find such a man in the heart of this long-neglected continent 

 as Sebituane. He was a speciman of the possible African man 

 which fully repaid the toil and dangers of this long journey. 

 Through varied fortunes, almost incessant wars, he had reached 

 the dignity of being perhaps the greatest chief in the country. 

 With the loftiest courage he blended a singular depth of sympa- 

 thy and capacity for winning the hearts of his subjects. His 

 praises were sounded far and near. The people would say, 

 " He has a heart. He is wise." He was delighted by the visit 

 of the missionary, and felt himself honored by the confidence 

 which was manifested in bringing his family. But in the midst 

 of his realization of his long-cherished desire this great chief fell 

 sick. Livingstone desired to treat him himself, but being cau- 



