PUZZLING VARIETY OF NAMES. 197 



of the Makololo, at all profitable, they must secure a tusk or two. These can 

 only be got among certain small tribes who depend chiefly on agriculture for 

 subsistence, and are so destitute of iron that they often use hoes of wood. 

 They may be induced to part with ivory and children for iron implements, 

 but for nothing else. The Mambari tried cloth and beads unsuccessfully, but 

 hoes were irresistible. The Makololo wished to put a stop to their visits by 

 force, but a hint to purchase all the ivory with hoes was so promptly responded 

 to, that I anticipate small trade for the Mambari in future. If any one among 

 the tribes subject to the Makololo sells a child now, it is done secretly. The 

 trade may thus be said to be pretty well repressed. A great deal more than 

 this, however, is needed. Commerce is a most important aid to civilisation, 

 for it soon breaks up the sullen isolation of heathenism, and makes men feel 

 their mutual dependence. Hopes of this make one feel gratified at the success 

 which has attended my little beginning. But it is our blessed Christianity 

 alone which can touch the centre of the wants of Africa. The Arabs, it is well 

 known, are great in commerce, but not much elevated thereby above the 

 African in principle. My Arab friend Ben Habib, now gone to Loanda, was 

 received most hospitably by an old female chief called Sebola Makwaia ; and 

 she actually gave him ivory enough to set him up as a trader ; yet he went 

 with the Makololo against her to revenge some old feud with which he had 

 no connexion." 



The Victoria Falls were viewed with dread by the natives living at a 

 distance. They supposed them to be the haunt of some powerful and myste- 

 rious deity. Dr Livingstone says : — 



" The former name of the spot was Shongwe, the meaning of which I 

 cannot ascertain. The Makololo, in passing near it, said, " Mosi oa tunya," 

 " smoke does sound." Very few of them ever went near to examine the cause 

 before my visit. When the river is in flood, the vapour is seen and the sound 

 heard ten or more miles distant. Although I have not felt at liberty to act on 

 my conviction on the subject of names, I think all rivers and hills discovered 

 by Englishmen ought to have English names. The African name is known 

 only to people in the locality. I could not get the name Zumbo lately from 

 the people among the ruins, and passed Dambarari on the opposite side of the 

 river, nobody having ever heard the name before. The same would have 

 happened of course had they been English or Portuguese names, but we should 

 not have the nonsense with which, by mis-spelling, we and the printers disfigure 

 the maps. See how many ways Bechuanas are mentioned — Booshuanas, Boot- 

 jouanas, Bertjouanas, &c. : Makrakka for Makabe ; Marelata for Moretcle ; 

 Wanketzeens for Bangwaketse ; Beza (God) for Reza. We on the spot are 

 often misled getting information from (native) foreigners, who pronounce names 

 according to their own dialects, and are thereby often guilty of leading those 

 at home astray. English names, too, are surely better than the round Dutch 



