discovert of lake ngami. 
39 
first essays at war, made their bows of the Palma Christi, 
and, when those broko, they gave up fighting altogether 
They have invariably submitted to the rule of every horde 
which has overrun the countries adjacent to the rivers on 
which they specially love to dwell. Thoy are thus the 
Quakers of the body politic in Africa. 
Twelvo days after our departure from the wagons at 
Ngabisano wo came to the northeast end of Lake Ngami; 
and on the lBt of August, 1849, we went down together to 
the broad part, and, for the first time, this fine-looking 
sheet of water was beheld by Europeans. The direction 
of the lake seemed to bo N.N. E. and S.S.W. by compass. 
The southern portion is said to bend round to the west, and 
to receive the Teougho from the north at its northwest 
extremity. We could dotect no horizon where we stood 
looking S.S.W., nor could we form any idea of the extent 
of tho lake, except from the reports of tho inhabitants ol 
the district; and, as they professed to go round it in three 
days, allowing twenty-five miles a day would make it 
seventy-five, or less than seventy geographical miles in cir- 
cumference. Other guesses have beon made since as to its 
circumference, ranging between seventy and one hundred 
miles. It is shallow, for I subsequently saw a native punt- 
ing his canoe over seven or eight miles of the northeast 
end; it can never, therefore, be of much value as a com- 
mercial highway. In fact, during the months preceding 
tho annual supply of water from tho north, tho lake is so 
shallow that it is with difficulty cattle can approach the 
Water through the boggy, reedy banks. These are low on 
*11 sides, but on the west there is a spaco devoid of trees, 
showing that the waters havo retired thence at no very 
ancient date. This is anothor of the proofs of desiccation 
Kot with so abundantly throughout the whole country. A 
Oumbor of dead trees lie on this space, some of them em- 
bedded in the mud, right in tho water. We were informed 
by the Bayciye, who live on tho lake, that when tho annual 
inundation begins not only trees of great size, but ant» 
