Chap. XII. ASCENT OF THE LEEAMBYE. 145 



badly, that I was obliged to go myself in order to save my 

 powder. 



We shot a beautiful cow-eland, standing in the shade of a 

 fine tree. Tt was a new variety of this splendid antelope, 

 marked with narrow white bands across the body, exactly 

 like those of the koodoo, and having a black patch of more 

 than a hand-breadth on the outer side of the fore aim. 

 Evidently she had lately had her calf killed by a lion, for 

 *-here were five long deep scratches on both sides of her hind 

 quarters, as if she had run to its rescue, and the beast had left 

 it to attack herself, but was unable to pull her down. The 

 milk which flowed from the distended udder showed that she 

 had sought the shade from the distress caused by the accumu- 

 lation of the fluid. A Makololo gentleman who accompanied 

 me, struck with her beauty, said, " Jesus ought to have give/ 

 us these instead of cattle." 



CHAPTER XII. 



Ascent of the Leeambye. — Barotse Valley. — Banyeti.— 

 Naliele. — Mambaei. — The Marile. — Sesiieke. 



Having at last collected a fleet of thirty-three canoes, and 

 about one hundred and sixty men, we began to ascend the 

 river. I had my choice from all the vessels, and selected the 

 best, though not the biggest. It was thirty-four feet long 

 and only twenty inches wide, and was manned by six paddlers. 

 The larger canoe of Sekeletu had ten. They stand upright, 

 and keep the stroke with great precision, though they change 

 from side to side as the course demands. The men at the 

 head and stern are the strongest and most expert of the whole. 

 The canoes, being flat-bottomed, can go into shallow water ; 

 and whenever the crew can touch the ground with their 

 paddles, which are about eight feet long, they use them as 

 poles to punt with. On land the Makalaka fear the Makololo ; 

 on water, the superiority appertains to the former. They race 

 with each other, and, dashing along at the top of their speed, 



