SECOND VIEW OF LAKE NGAMI. 81 



gave orders to his doctors to attend to the wounds, and subsequently restored 

 him to liberty. Had we succeeded in reaching Sebituane, the interview 

 between the two chiefs might have been interesting. Our chief sent a present 

 to his former benefactor last year, but his messengers were prevented going 

 in the same way that we were. They have been more successful this year ; 

 so, though we have not been able to go as far as we intended, we are thankful 

 to hear that the way has been opened by them. 



" Having no apprehension that Sekomi would throw obstacles in our 

 way, we visited his tribe both in going and returning. As he is an old 

 friend, I apologised for passing to the westward of him in our last trip, on the 

 ground that, as I knew he was very much opposed to our finding a passage 

 to the lake (he having twice refused our request to pass), I had determined 

 to go in spite of him, and yet without contention. He replied, ' U'ntsitile, 

 mi kia boka ' (You beat me, and I thank you, or acknowledge it). His entire 

 conduct was the opposite of what it was last year. We had more intercourse 

 with the Bakalahari, especially with the inhabitants of a large village about 

 40 miles N. of the Bamangwato ; and as we passed through their country in 

 April, before the pools, which are usually filled by the rains, are dried up, we 

 suffered no inconvenience from want of water. After visiting the Bakarutse, 

 who live at the lower end of the Zouga, we crossed that river, and ascended 

 on its northern bank. Our intention in passing along the northern bank of 

 the Zouga was to follow the course of the Tamunakle until we reached 

 Sebituane, but, when near the junction of the two rivers, we were informed 

 by a Bakhoba chief named Palane, that the fly called ' tsetse ' abounded on 

 the Tamunakle. As its bite is fatal to oxen, horses, and dogs, though harm- 

 less to men and goats, and we had no more oxen than were sufficient to draw 

 our waggons, I proposed proceeding alone ; but Mrs. L. preferring to wait during 

 my absence among the Batavana, we recrossed the Zouga, and went down 

 towards the lake. Sechulathebe, the chief, furnished guides, and informed us 

 that the distance would be performed partly by land and partly by water, as 

 the Tamunakle had a very zigzag course ; that the riding ox would certainly 

 die soon after I returned, in consequence of being bitten by the fly, and 

 promised to furnish my family with meat during my absence, but objected to 

 Sechele going along with me, because his messenger had not yet returned to 

 tell how Sebituane's mind stood affected towards him. Everything seemed 

 favourable, and, before starting, I took my wife down to take a peep at the 

 lake. "We felt rather more curiosity than did an Englishman who came to 

 buy ivory from the Batavana, for, although within six miles of it, he informed 

 us that he had never visited it. On the day following our driver and leader 

 were laid up by fever, and subsequently to that two of our children, and 

 several of the people besides ; a young English artist, Mr. Eider, who had 

 taken some views of the lake scenery, and a Hottentot belonging to another 

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