122 A CROCODILE'S VICTIM. Chap. V. 



the natives for telling him an untruth. " There is a lake," 

 said he, "for how could the white men know about it in 

 a book if it did not exist?" They then admitted that 

 there was a lake a few miles off. Subsequent inquiries 

 make it probable that the story of the "perpendicular 

 rocks" may have had reference to a fissure, known to 

 both natives and Arabs, in the north-eastern portion of the 

 lake. The walls rise so high that the path along the bottom 

 is said to be underground. It is probably a crack similar 

 to that which made the Victoria Falls, and formed the Shire 

 Valley. 



The Chief brought a small present of meal in the evening, 

 and sat with us for a few minutes. On leaying us he said that 

 he wished we might sleep well. Scarce had he gone, when a 

 wild sad cry arose from the river, followed by the shrieking 

 of women. A crocodile had carried off his principal wife, as 

 she was bathing. The Makololo snatched up their arms, and 

 rushed to the bank, but it was too late, she was gone. The 

 wailing of the women continued all night, and next morning we 

 met others coming to the village to join in the general mourn- 

 ing. Their grief was evidently heartfelt, as we saw the tears 

 coursing down their cheeks. In reporting this misfortune 

 to his neighbours, Muana-Moesi said "that white men came to 

 his village ; washed themselves at the place where his wife 

 drew water and bathed ; rubbed themselves with a white 

 medicine (soap) ; and his wife, having gone to bathe after- 

 wards, was taken by a crocodile ; he did not know whether 

 in consequence of the medicine used or not/' This we could 

 not find fault with. On our return we were viewed with 

 awe, and all the men fled at our approach; the women 

 remained ; and this elicited the remark from our men, " The 

 women have the advantage of men, in not needing to dread 



