i883.] 
Among the Barotse. 
83 
crags, and in other parts comes over in one sheer plump. The 
cloud of spray, in which beautiful rainbows appear, rises a long 
distance into the air, falling again over the banks as it is blown 
by the wind, so that the vegetation close to the Falls is of the 
richest and most tropical character I have yet seen. 
AN ESCAPE. 
Here I had a narrow escape from a lion. Walking along 
alone, a horrid growl and rustle of bushes at my very side 
startled me. I must have been within a few feet of the monster, 
whose voice was unmistakable. Turning round I walked slowly 
backward, with my eyes on the spot, and then, when well clear, 
I went off at a quick walk. I had not a gun with me. On 
returning to camp I found that two large lions had come up in 
broad daylight to within sixty yards of the camp. They were 
shot at, and one, which was wounded, again came fiercely up at 
night, and would have done mischief had not all been awake, 
and kept him off with shouting, scattering fire, etc. 
THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ZAMBESI. 
On the north side of the river one Mosotan has a large town. 
I had met him before, and sent word that I wanted to visit his 
town. He sent two of his men to greet me, with a large 
calabash of mofoha, a native drink, and asked me to go up the 
river to his drift or ferry. According to promise I went next 
day, and he was very glad to see me, and gave me a goat for 
food. In the evening I crossed over and walked to his town, 
and spent the first part of the night surrounded by crowds of 
his people dancing and drumming. These Batoka are very open 
to conversation, more so than to be lectured to. I stayed the 
next day with them, and left early the following morning, 
travelling back again on the north bank of the river. 
We came upon many companies of scattered Batoka and 
Basubia, with whom I had short conversations in passing. 
Towards the evening of the second day we made for the 
town of Sepupwa, on an island in the river, and camped there. 
In the morning we hailed the people, but were told that as the 
headman of the town was absent they could not speak with us, 
nor send boats across. I waited and tried to persuade them, 
