64 OBTAINING GUIDKS. 



trees to allow the waggons to pass v Our losses by oxen 

 falling into pitfalls were very heavy. The Bayeiye kindly 

 opened the pits when they knew of our approach ; but 

 when that was not the case, we could blame no one on 

 rinding an established custom of the country mimical to 

 our interests. On approaching the confluence of the 

 Tamunak'le we were informed that the fly called tsetse * 

 abounded on its banks. This was a barrier we never 

 expected to meet ; and as it might have brought our 

 waggons to a complete stand-still in a wilderness, where 

 no supplies for the children could be obtained, we were 

 reluctantly compelled to recross the Zouga. 



From the Bayeiye we learned that a party of English- 

 men, who had come to the lake in search of ivory, were all 

 laid low by fever ; so we travelled hastily down about sixty 

 miles to render what aid was in our power. We were 

 grieved to find as we came near that Mr. Alfred Rider, an 

 enterprising young artist who had come to make sketches 

 of this country and of the lake immediately after its dis- 

 covery, had died of fever before our arrival ; but, by the 

 aid of medicines and such comforts as could be made by 

 the only English lady who ever visited the lake, the others 

 happily recovered. The unfinished drawing of Lake 

 Ngami was made by Mr. Rider just before his death, and 

 has been kindly lent for this work by his bereaved mother. 



Sechele used all his powers of eloquence with Lechu- 

 latebe to induce him to furnish guides that I might be able 

 to visit Sebituane on ox-back, while Mrs. Livingstone and 

 the children remained at Lake Ngami. He yielded at last. 

 I had a very superior London-made gun, the gift of Lieu- 

 tenant Arkwright, on which I placed the greatest value 

 both on account of the donor and the impossibility of my 

 Yeplacing it. Lechulatebe fell violently in love with it, 

 and offered whatever number of elephants' tusks I might 

 ask for it. I too was enamoured with Sebituane ; and, 

 as he promised in addition that he would furnish Mrs. 

 Livingstone with meat all the time of my absence, his argu- 

 ments made me part with the gun. Though he had no 

 ivory at the time to pay me, I felt the piece would be well 

 spent on those terms, and delivered it to him. All being 



* Glossina morsitans ; the first specimens of which were brought 

 to England in 1848 by my friend Major Vardon, Ixom. the banks of 

 she Limpopo. 



