• 50 Seven Years in Central Africa. [Aug. 
to Inparairie, and send messengers on to Shesheke. I at once 
said I would go with him, beUeving that such an exceptional 
opportunity was from the Lord. 
Mr. Blockley had just left Leshuma, not intending to return 
there this year. He remarked to-day how annoyed he felt at 
having to go there to buy corn, when he had so much work to do 
at Panda-ma-tenka, but that he could not help it. How mighty is 
our God ! How He can use all things and all men for His 
purposes ! 
Mr. Blockley is well known on the river, and through his 
influence the headmen at Shesheke might allow me to pass up, 
without having to wait for the return of a messenger whom I 
should have to send to the king. 
Monday^ August 2\st. — Busy to-day getting things ready to 
, start to-morrow morning in Mr. Blockley's waggon. 
2^th. — Arrived at Leshuma this evening after a pleasant journey 
of three days. 
CROSSING THE ZAMBESI. 
August 2^th. — Off as early as possible for the Zambesi. The 
path lay through a thickly-wooded tropical valley, full of rich 
herbage. We reached the river about mid-day, but as the wind 
was very strong and the water rough, the old man in charge of 
the ferry would not answer our call for some time ; so I was able 
to look around and take a good view of the river. We rested at 
the point where the waters of the Chobe and the Zambesi meet. 
The Zambesi at that point is as broad as the Clyde at Dum- 
barton, and is very deep from bank to bank; the Chobe is a 
little narrower. Late in the afternoon the old man started in 
his canoe, but instead of coming over to us he went a long way 
up the river and crossed to the island of Inparairie. However, 
he came down after a time and landed where we were. After 
talking and waiting, he agreed to ferry us over for so much. 
Three trips took us and our bundles across in his cranky canoe. 
Everything got wet, and I had to sit down in water. The edge 
of the canoe — the trunk of a tree shaped a bit and hollowed out 
— was scarcely a handbreadth from the water, and all the little 
waves came right in, so that Setobi had a hard half hour's work in 
baling out the water. 
The boatman understood that I was a servant of Mr. Blockley's, 
