THE BAROTSE. 201 



which was constructed artificially by Santuru, and was 

 his storehouse for grain. His own capital stood about 

 five hundred yards to the south of that, in what is now 

 the bed of the river. All that remains of the largest 

 mound in the valley are a few cubic yards of earth, tcv 

 erect which, cost the whole of the people of Santuru the 

 labour of many years. The same thing has happened to 

 another ancient site of a town, Linangelo, also on the left 

 bank. It would seem, therefore, that the river in this 

 part of the valley must be wearing eastwards. No great 

 rise of the river is required to submerge the whole valley ; 

 a rise of ten feet above the present low-water mark would 

 reach the highest point it ever attains, as seen in the 

 markings of the bank on which stood Santuru's ancient 

 capital, and two or three feet more would deluge all the 

 villages. This never happens, though the water some- 

 times comes so near the foundations of the huts, that the 

 people cannot move outside the walls of reeds which 

 encircle their villages. When the river is compressed 

 among the high rocky banks near Gonye, it rises sixty 

 feet. 



The influence of the partial obstruction it meets with 

 there, is seen in the more winding course of the river north 

 of 1 6° ; and when the swell gets past Katima-molelo, it 

 spreads out on the lands on both banks towards Sesheke. 



Santuru, at whose ancient granary we are staying, was 

 a great hunter, and very fond of taming wild animals. 

 His people, aware of his taste, brought to mm every young 

 antelope they could catch, and, among other things, two 

 young hippopotami. These animals gambolled in the 

 river by day, but never failed to remember to come up 

 to Naliele for their suppers of milk and meal. They were 

 the wonder of the country till a stranger, happening to 

 come to visit Santuru, saw them reclining in the sun y 

 and speared one of them on the supposition that it was 

 wild. The same unlucky accident happened to one of 

 the cats I had brought to Sekeletu. A stranger, seeing 

 an animal he had never viewed before, killed it, and 

 brought the trophy to the chief, thinking that he had 

 made a very remarkable discovery ; we thereby lost the 

 breed of cats, of which, from the swarms of mice, we stood 

 in great need. 



On making inquiries to ascertain whether Santuru, 

 the Moloiana, had ever been visited by white men, I could 



