Chap. XXVIII. THE KAFUE. 37 "A 



hair on the other side being allowed to hang above the ear, 

 thus giving the appearance of a cap cocked jauntily on the 

 side of the head. 



Their mode of salutation is by clapping the hands. Various 

 parties of women came from the surrounding villages to see 

 the white man, but all seemed much afraid, and, when ad- 

 dressed, clapped their hands with increasing vigour. Sekwebu 

 was the only one of the Makololo who knew this part of the 

 country; and he pronounced it to be admirably adapted for 

 the residence of a tribe. The natives generally have a good 

 idea of the nature of the soil and pasturage, and there is 

 certainly abundance of room at present in the country for 

 thousands and thousands more of population. There is a large 

 flat district of country to the north, said to be peopled by the 

 Bashukulompo and other tribes, who raise vast quantities of 

 grain, ground-nuts, sweet potatoes, &c, and also grow sugar- 

 cane. If they were certain of a market, 1 believe they would 

 gladly cultivate cotton. They are all fond of trade, but 

 hitherto have had no opportunities of prosecuting it in any 

 articles beyond ivory and slaves. 



The Kafue enters a narrow gorge close by the village of (65) 

 Semalembue ; as the hill on the north is called Bolengwe, I 

 apply that name to the gorge (lat. 15° 48' 19" S., long. 28° 22 

 E.). Semalembue accompanied us to a pass about a mile south 

 of his village, and on parting I put on him a shirt, with 

 which he went away apparently much delighted. When we 

 entered among the hills, we found the ford of the Kafue, 

 which was at least 250 yards broad, but rocky and shallow. 

 After crossing it in a canoe we went along the left bank, and 

 were completely shut in by high hills. Every available spot 

 between the river and the hills is under cultivation ; the 

 locality having been selected as a residence simply from its 

 capabilities of defence, and not on general grounds of eligi- 

 bility. Hippopotami abound, and the inhabitants are obliged 

 to make pitfalls to protect the grain against them. As these 

 animals had not been disturbed by guns, they were remarkably 

 tame, and took no notice of us. We saw numbers of young 

 ones, not much larger than terrier dogs, sitting on the necks ot 

 their dams, the little saucy-looking heads cocking up between 

 the old one's ears; as they become a little older they sit on 



