Chap. XI. ANT-HILLS— DATE-TREES. 139 



willing arms of the hard-working women; but, as the men 

 labour as well as their wives, many have followed the advice 

 of the missionaries, and use ploughs and oxen instead of the 

 hoe. 



3rd. The Bakalahari, or western branch of the Bechuana 

 family, consists of Barolong, Bahurutse, Bakuena, Bangwa- 

 ketse, Bakaa, Bamangwato, Bakurutse, Batauana, Bamatlaro, 

 and Batlapi. It is among these last that the success of the 

 missionaries has been greatest. They were an insignificant 

 and filthy people when first discovered ; but, being nearest to 

 the colony, they have had opportunities of trading, and the 

 long-continued peace they have enjoyed has enabled them 

 to amass great numbers of cattle. The young, who do not 

 realize their former degradation, often consider their present 

 superiority over the tribes in the interior to be entirely 

 owing to a primitve intellectual pre-eminence. 



CHAPTER XT. 



LlNYANTT TO SESHEKE. THE LeEAMBYE. 



Having waited a month at Linyanti, we again departed, for 

 the purpose of ascending the river from Sesheke (lat. 17° 31' 

 38" S., long. 25° 13' E.). Not only Sekeletu, but many of the 

 under-chiefs, accompanied us. The country between Linyanti 

 and Sesheke is perfectly flat, except where patches are elevated 

 a few feet above the surrounding level, or where the termites 

 have thrown up their enormous mounds. No one who has not 

 seen their gigantic structures can imagine the industry of these 

 little labourers. They seem to impart fertility to the soil which 

 has once passed through their mouths, for the Makololo find 

 the sides of anthills the choice spots for rearing early maize, 

 tobacco, or anything else which requires more than ordinary 

 care. The mounds were generally covered with wild date- 

 trees. The fruit is small, and as soon as it is ripe the Mako- 

 lolo cut down the tree rather than be at the trouble of climbing 

 it. The other portions of the more elevated land have the 

 camel-thnrn (Acacia giraffa), white-thorned mimosa (Acacia 



