104 



Livingston's Researches in South Africa. 



At a late meeting of the New York Geographical Society, 

 Mr Leavitt read a paper from Rev. Mr Livingston, English 

 missionary in South Africa. Mr L. had made two excur- 

 sions, in company with Capt. Oswald and another officer of the 

 British Army. Passing the lake Ngami and the river Zonga, 

 in latitude 20° south, they passed in their journey due north 

 across the dry bed of the Zonga. Here they found numerous 

 salt-pans or ponds. The Bushmen abound near the springs. 

 They are a merry and honest race. For three days Mr Living- 

 ston was without water ; travelling by night to avoid the heat. 

 On the fourth day they struck a rhinoceros trail, and follow- 

 ed it to the river Mataba, a small stream. They reached the 

 Chobe on the next day. This is a deep and very crooked 

 river. Here they found a famous old chief, Sabatoae. His 

 tribe is a very savage one. This old chief died while the tra- 

 vellers were there. They then went on to the Sesheke or 

 Skiota, on horseback, a distance of 100 miles. This is an 

 immense stream ; 300 to 500 yards across in the driest 

 season . Ten days up the river is the seat of the Barotsi, once 

 the most powerful tribe in that region. The river has many 

 tributaries and some rapids. In this region there are many 

 large rivers ; the country is flat, and in the rainy season is 

 flooded for many miles from the streams. The people here 

 are very black, very large, and strongly developed, but peace- 

 ful. They are more ingenious than the Cape people. The 

 Baloe tribes melt large quantities of iron, and are very good 

 smiths. 



From an examination of the recently constructed maps of 

 this country, it is seen that the Zambesi (which is a very large 

 river emptying into the Mozambique Channel, by innumer- 

 able mouths, in latitude 18° and 19° south), seems to divide 

 into two great branches some 350 miles up ; that these 

 branches run west, and then for several hundred miles north ; 

 that the branches are something like 200 miles apart, and 

 that the country between is a rich delta, since junction 

 streams constantly run from one branch to the other, thus 



