PREPARING TO CROSS THE DESERT. 37 



superior to the head of that family ; and Sechele, while in 

 every other respeqt supreme, calls him Kosi or Chief. The 

 other tribes will not begin to eat the early pumpkins of a 

 new crop until they hear that the Bahurutse have " bitten 

 it," and there is a public ceremony on the occasion — the 

 son of the chief being the first to taste of the new harvest. 

 Sechele, by my advice, sent men to Sekomi, asking leave 

 for me to pass along his path, accompanying the request 

 with the present of an ox. Sekomi's mother, who possesses 

 great influence over him, refused permission, because she 

 had not been propitiated. This produced a fresh message ; 

 and the most honourable man in the Bakwain tribe, next to 

 Sechele, was sent with an ox for both Sekomi and his 

 mother. This, too, was met by refusal. It was said, 

 " The Matabele, the mortal enemies of the Bechuanas, 

 are in the direction of the lake, and, should they kill the 

 white man, we shall incur great blame from all his nation." 

 The exact position of the I^ake Ngami had, for half a 

 century at least, been correctly pointed out by the natives, 

 who had visited it when rains were more copious in the 

 Desert than in more recent times, and many attempts had 

 been made to reach it by passing through the Desert in 

 the direction indicated ; but it was found impossible, even 

 for Griquas, who, having some Bushman blood in them, 

 may be supposed more capable of enduring thirst than 

 Europeans. It was clear, then, that our only chance of 

 success was by going round, instead of through, the 

 Desert. The best time for the attempt would have been 

 about the end of the rainy season, in March or April, for 

 then we should have been likely to meet with pools of rain- 

 water, which always dry up during the rainless winter. I 

 communicated my intention to an African traveller, 

 Colonel Steele, then aide-de-camp to the Marquis of 

 Tweeddale, at Madras, and he made it known to two other 

 gentlemen, whose friendship we had gained during their 

 African travel, namely, Major Vardon and Mr. Oswell. 

 All of these gentlemen were so enamoured with African 

 hunting and African discovery, that the two former must 

 have envied the latter his good fortune in being able to 

 leave India to undertake afresh the pleasures and pains of 

 desert life. I believe Mr. Oswell came from his high 

 position, at a very considerable pecuniary sacrifice, and 

 with no other end in view but to extend the boundaries of 

 geographical knowledge. Before I knew of his coming I 



