Chap. XI. THE LEEAMBYE. 143 



oowdung and earth. The best class of dwelling* consist of 

 three circular walls, with small holes for doors, as in a dog- 

 house. Even when on all-fours it is necessary to bend down 

 the body to get in. The roof is funned of reeds or straight 

 sticks, in shape like a Chinaman's hat, bound firmly together 

 with circular bands, which are lashed with the strong inner 

 bark of the mimosa-tree. The whole is thatched with fine 

 grass. As the roof projects far beyond the walls, and reaches 

 within four feet of the ground, the shade is the best to be 

 found in the country. These habitations are cool in the 

 hottest day, but are close and deficient in ventilation by 

 night. The bed is a mat made of rushes sewn together with 

 twine. The hip-bone pressing on the hard flat surface soon 

 becomes sore, and it is not allowable to make a hole in the 

 floor to receive the prominent part called trochanter by 

 anatomists, as we do when sleeping on grass or sand. In 

 some villages we were driven to desert our tent for a hut, 

 because the mice ran over our faces, or hungry dogs ate our 

 shoes and left only the soles. 



Our course at this time led us to a part above Sesheke, 

 called Katonga— latitude 17° 29' 13", longitude 24° 33', where 

 there is a village belonging to a Bashubia man named 

 Sekkosi. The river here is certainly not less than six hun- 

 dred yards wide. When the canoes came from Sekhosi to 

 take us across, one of the comrades of Sebituane rose, and, 

 looking at Sekeletu, called out, " The elders of a host always 

 take the lead in an attack." Sekeletu, and his young men, 

 were accordingly obliged to give them precedence. It took a 

 considerable time to ferry over our large party, as, eA'en with 

 quick paddling, from six to eight minutes were spent in the 

 passage from bank to bank. 



Several days were spent in collecting canoes from different 

 villages for the purpose of ascending the river. This we now 

 learned is called by the whole of the Barotse the Liambai, 

 or Leeanrbye, which means " the large river," or the river 

 par excellence. Luambeji, Luambesi, Anibezi, Ojimbesi. and 

 Zambesi, &c, are names applied to it at different parts of its 

 course, according to the dialect spoken. They have all the 

 same signification, and express the native idea that this 

 magnificent stream is the main drain of the country. 



