162 PUBLIC ADDRESSES. Chap. XIII. 



west, they utter a loud shout of "Kua!" aud vociferate 

 prayers to it. My men, for instance, called out,. " Let our 

 journey with the white man be prosperous ! Let our enemies 

 perish, and the children of Nake become rich ! May he have 

 plenty of meat on this journey ! " &c. &c. The day after the 

 appearance of the new moon is the only stated day of rest in 

 any part of this country, and then people merely refrain from 

 going to their gardens. 



I gave many public addresses to tbe people of Sesheke 

 under the outspreading camel-thorn tree, which serves as a 

 shade to the kotla on the high bank of the river. It was 

 pleasant to see the long lines of men, women, and children 

 winding along from different quarters of the town, each party 

 following behind their respective head-men. They often 

 amounted to between five and six hundred souls, and were 

 very attentive. Moriantsane, dosigning to please me, rose up 

 once in the middle of the discourse, and hurled his staff at the 

 heads of some young fellows who were employed upon a skin 

 instead of listening. My audience sometimes put sensible 

 questions on the subjects brought before them; at other 

 times after hearing solemn truths they talked the most 

 frivolous nonsense. Some begin to pray to Jesus in secret as 

 soon as they hear of the white man's God, with but little 

 comprehension of what they are doing. Others wake be- 

 night, and, recollecting what has been said about a future 

 world, tell next day what a fright they got by it, and resolve 

 not to listen to the teaching again. Many keep to the detei 

 mination not to believe, like certain villagers in the south, 

 who put all their cocks to death because they crowed the 

 words, " Tlang lo rapeleng " — " Come along to prayers." 



On recovering partially from a severe attack of fever which 

 remained upon me ever since our passing the village of 

 Moremi on the Chobe, we recommenced our ascent. The 

 rains were just beginning ; but though showers sufficient to 

 lay the dust had fallen, they had no influence on the amount 

 of water in the river. Yet there was never less than three 

 hundred yards of a deep flowing stream. Our progress was 

 rather slow, in consequence of our waiting opposite different 

 villages for supplies of food. We might have done with 

 much less than we received ; but my Makololo -man, Pitsane, 



