cuav.xxu. LOVE OF BAiONDA ¥02 THEIR MOffiEKS. 211 



after which they become in tuni so dry that travellers are put 

 to great straits for water, though it might undoubtedly be 

 obtained by sinking wells. Little islands, on which grow 

 stunted date-bushes and scraggy trees, are dotted about here 

 and there over the surface. The plains themselves are 

 covered with a thick sward of grass, which conceals the water, 

 and makes the flats appear like great pale yellow-coloured 

 prairie-lands. The rain-water must have stood some time 

 among the grass, for great numbers of lotus-flowers were in 

 full blow ; and the runs of water tortoises, crabs, and other 

 animals which prey on fish, were observed. These periodic- 

 ally deluged plains have a most important bearing on the 

 ph} r sical geography of a very large portion of this country. 

 The plains of Lobale give rise to a great many streams, which 

 unite to form the deep never- failing Chobe. Similar extensive (44) 

 flats give birth to the Loeti and Kasai, and, as we shall see 

 further on, all the rivers of an extensive region owe their (45) 

 origin, not to springs, but to oozing bogs. Intemese pointed 

 out the different localities as we passed along, and among the 

 rest mentioned a place which he called " Mokala a Mania," 

 his " mama's home." It was interesting to hear this tall 

 grey-headed man recall the memories of boyhood. All the 

 Makalaka children cleave to the mother in cases of separation, 

 or removal from one part of the country to another. The 

 Bechuanas, on the contrary, care nothing for their mothers, 

 but cling to their fathers. Our Bakwain guide to the lake, 

 Bachosi, told me that his mother lived in the country of 

 Sebituane, but he laughed at the idea of going from lake 

 Kgami to the Chobe, merely for the purpose of seeing her. 

 Had he been one of the Makalaka, he never would have 

 parted from her. (46) 



We made our beds on one of the islands, and were 

 wretchedly supplied with firewood. The booths constructed 

 by the men were but sorry shelter against the rain, which 

 poured down without intermission till midday. When 

 released b} T the cessation of the rain, we marched on till we 

 came to a ridge of dry inhabited land in the N.W. The 

 inhabitants, according to custom, lent us the roofs of some 

 huts to save the men the trouble of booth-making. I suspect 

 that the story ir. Park's ' Travels,' of the men lilting up the 



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