A DEGRADED TRIBE. 207 



not only Lake Ngami in its bosom, but spread westwards beyond Libele, 

 southwards and eastwards beyond Nebokotsa. Indeed, in many parts south 

 of Ngami, when an anteater makes a burrow, he digs up shells identical with 

 those of mollusca now living in the Zambesi. And all the surface indicated 

 is covered by a deposit of soft calcareous tufa, with which the fresh waters of 

 the valley seem to have formerly been loaded. The water in the Barotse 

 valley was probably discharged by the same means ; for Gronye possesses a 

 fissure character, and so does another large cataract situated beyond Masiko 

 in the Kabompo country. 



" It would be interesting to ascertain if these rents were suddenly made 

 and remain in their original state, or whether they are at present progressive. 

 I had a strong desire to measure a point of that of Mosioatunya, but had 

 neither the means of accurate measurement, nor of marking the hard rock 

 afterwards. They have proved drains on a gigantic scale ; and if geologists 

 did not require such eternities of time for their operations, we might hazard 

 a hint about a salubrious millenium for Africa. 



" Shall we say that they are geologically recent, because there is not 

 more than 3 feet worn off the edge subjected to the wear of the water ? and 

 that they are progressive, as the gradual desiccation of the Bechuana country 

 shows a slow elevation of the ridges ? No one will |)robably think much of 

 the negative fact, that there is no trace of a tradition in the country of an 

 earthquake. The word is not in the language ; and though events, centuries 

 old, are sometimes commemorated by means of names, I never met any ap- 

 proach to a Tom Earthquake or Sam Shake-the-ground among them. Yet 

 they do possess a tradition which is wonderfully like the building of the 

 Tower of Babel, ending differently, however, from that in the Bible, the 

 bold builders having got their heads cracked by the giving way of the 

 scaffolding. There is also the story of Solomon and the harlots; and all 

 trace back their origin to a time when their forefathers came out of a cave in 

 the north-east in company with animals. The cave is termed Loe (Noe ?), and 

 is exceptional in the language, from having masculine pronouns." 



In the valley of the Lekone, a considerable river which falls into the 

 Zambesi below the falls, they rested a day at the village of Moyara, whose 

 father had been a powerful chief, with many followers and large herds of 

 cattle and goats. His son lives among the ruins of his town, with five wives 

 and a handful of people, while the remains of his warlike and more powerful 

 father are buried in the middle of his hut, covered with a heap of rotting ivory. 

 Bleached skulls of Matebele, evidences of his power and cruelty, were stuck 

 on poles about the village. The degraded condition of the Batoka among the 

 more powerful tribes was exemplified by the fact that a number of them were 

 introduced into his party by Sekeletu to carry his tusks to the nearest Portu- 

 guese settlement. 



