194 THE LEEAMBYE RIVER. 



different villages on the river, which we now learned is 

 called by the whole of the Barotse the liambai, or I^eeam- 

 bye. This we could not ascertain on our first visit, and, 

 consequently, called the river after the town, " Sesheke." 

 This term Sesheke means " white sand-banks," many of 

 which exist at this part. There is another village in the 

 valley of the Barotse likewise called Sesheke, and for the 

 same reason ; but the term Leeambye means " the large 

 river," or the river par excellence. Luambeji, Luambesi, 

 Ambezi, Ojimbesi, and Zambesi, &c, are names applied to 

 it at different parts of its course, according to the dialect 

 spoken, and all possess a similar signification, and 

 fcxpress the native idea of this magnificent stream being 

 the main drain of the country. 



In order to assist in the support of our large party, and 

 at the same time to see the adjacent country, I went 

 several times during our stay, to the north of the village 

 for game. The country is covered with clumps of beautiful 

 trees, among which fine open glades stretch away in every 

 direction ; when the river is in flood these are inundated, 

 but the tree-covered elevated spots are much more 

 numerous here than in the country between the Chobe 

 and the Leeambye. The soil is dark loam, as it is every- 

 where on spots reached by the inundation, while among 

 the trees it is sandy, and not covered so densely with grass 

 as elsewhere. A sandy ridge covered with trees, running 

 parallel to, and about eight miles from the river, is the 

 limit of the inundation on the north ; there are large tracts 

 of this sandy forest in that direction, till you come to 

 other large districts of alluvial soil and fewer trees. The 

 latter soil is always found in the vicinity of rivers which 

 either now overflow their banks annually, or formerly 

 did so. The people enjoy rain in sufficient quantity to 

 raise very large supplies of grain and ground-nuts. 



This district contains great numbers of a small antelope 

 named Tianyane, unknown in the south. It stands about 

 eighteen inches high, is very graceful in its movements, 

 and utters a cry of alarm not unlike that of the domestic 

 fowl ; it is of a brownish-red colour on the sides and back, 

 with the belly and lower part of the tail white ; it is very 

 timid, but the maternal affection that the little thing bears 

 to its young will often induce it to offer battle even to a 

 man approaching it. When the young one is too tender 

 to run about with the dam, she puts one foot on the pro- 



