152 THE HERALD. Chap. XIL 



lake. Even when the herbage falls down in winter, or is 

 " laid " by its own weight, it is necessary to lift the feet high, 

 to avoid being tripped tip by it. So much cover does it 

 afford that young leches are hidden beneath it by their dams. 

 The current of the river was about four and a half miles per 

 hour, and in the higher lands, from which it seemed to 

 come, I imagined we might find that wholesome locality of 

 which I was in search. Determined not to abandon the idea 

 till I had accomplished a complete examination of the Barotse 

 country, I left Sekeletu at Naliele, and ascended the river. 

 He furnished me with men, and among the rest with a herald, 

 that I might enter his villages in what is considered a digni- 

 fied manner. His habit was to shout, " Here comes the lord ; 

 the great lion;" the latter phrase being "tau e tona," which 

 in his imperfect way of pronunciation became " sblvl e tona," 

 and so like " the great sow," that I had to entreat him to be 

 silent, much to the annoyance of my party. 



In our ascent we visited a number of villages, and were 

 always received with a hearty welcome, as messengers 

 of " sleep " or peace. These Makololo behaved well in public 

 meetings, even at the first attendance, probably from the 

 habit of commanding the Makalaka, crowds of whom swarm 

 in every settlement, and whom the Makololo women seem to 

 consider as especially under their charge. 



The river presents the same appearance of low banks with- 

 out trees as it had done from 16° 16', until we arrive at 

 Libonta (14° 59' S. lat.). Twenty miles beyond that point 

 there is forest down to the water's edge, and along with the 

 woods there is tsetse. No locality can be inhabited by 

 Europeans where that scourge exists; but I still pushed 

 forward on hearing that we were not far from the confluence 

 <34) of the river of Londa, or Lunda, named Leeba, or Loiba. A* 

 this confluence (latitude 14° 11' 3" S.) the Leeambye assumes 

 the name Kabompo, and seems to be coming from the east. 

 It is there about three hundred yards wide, and the Leeba two 

 hundred and fifty. The Loeti, a branch of which is called 

 Langebongo, comes from W.N.W., through a level grassy 

 plain named Mango, and is about one hundred yards wide 

 where it enters the Leeambye. The waters of the Loeti are of 

 a light hue, those of the Leeba of a dark mossy tinge. After 



