93 
BANKS Ot THE OHOBE. 
Annual inundation of the Chobe ; and this, which appoarod 
a largo, deep river, fillod in many parts with roeds, an 
having hippopotami in it, is only ono ol tho branches y 
which it sends its superabundant water to tho southeast. 
Wo mado so many attompts to got over tho Sanshuroh, 
both to tho west and oast of tho wagon, in tho hopo of 
reaching somo of tho Makololo od tho Chobo, that my 
Bushmen friends became quite tired of tho 'uork. y 
moans of presents I got them to romain somo days; but at 
last they slipped away by night, and I was fain to take 
ono of tho strongest of my still weak companions and cross 
tho river in a pontoon, tho gift of Captains Codrington and 
Webb. Wo each carried somo provisions and a blanket, 
and penetrated about twenty miles to tho westward, in 
tho hopo of striking the Chobo. It was much nearer to us 
in a northerly direction, but this wo did not then know. 
Tho plain, ovor which wo splashed the whole of tho fiist 
Jay, was covered with water anklo deep, and thick grass 
which reached abovo tho knees. In tho evening we canto 
to an immense wall of roeds, six or eight feet high, without 
any opening admitting of a passage. When wo tried to 
enter, tlio water always bccamo so deep that wo were lain 
to desist. Wo concluded that we had como to tho banks 
of the river wo were in soarch of; so wo directed our coutso 
to somo trees which appeared in tho south, in order to get 
a bed and a view of tho adjacent locality. Having shot a 
locho. and mado a glorious fire, wo got a good crp of tea 
and bad a comfortablo night. 
Next morning, by climbing tho highest trees, wo could 
see a fino largo sheet of water, but surrounded on all sides 
oy tho same impenetrable belt of reeds. This is tho broad 
part of tho river Chobo, and is called Zabesa. Two tree- 
covered islands seemed to bo much nearer to tho watei 
than tho snore on which we wero; so wo mado an attempt 
to got to them first. It was not tho reeds alono wo had 
to pass through; a peculiar serrated grass, which at certain 
angles cut tho hand* like a razor, was mingled with the 
