BANKS OF THE OHOBE. 
188 
a good small telescope with a stand capable of being 
screwed into a treo. 
Wth of November, 1853. — Loft the town of Linyanti, 
accompanied by Sokeletu and his principal men, to embark 
on the Chobo The chief came to the river in order to see 
that all was right at parting. Wo crossed five branohes 
of the Chobe before reaching the main stream : this 
ramification mnst be the reason why it appeared so 
small to Mr. Oswoll and myself in 1851. Whon all the 
departing branches re-enter, it is a large, deep river. The 
spot of embarkation was the identical island whero wo met 
Sebitnane, first known as the island of Maunku, one of his 
wives. The chief lont me his own canoe; and, as it was 
broader than usual, I could turn about in it with ease. 
The Chobe is much infostod by hippopotami, and, as 
certain elderly males are expelled the herd, they become 
soured in their temper, and so misanthropic as to attack 
every canoe that passes near them. 
The course of the river we found to bo extremely tor- 
tuous ; so much so, indeed, as to carry us to all points of the 
compass every dozen miles. Some of us walked from a bend 
at the village of Moromi to another nearly duo east of that 
point in six hours, while the canoes, going at more than 
doublo our speed, took twelve to accomplish tho voyage 
betweon tho same two places. And though tho river is 
from thirteen to fifteen feot in depth at its lowest oho, and 
broad enough to allow a steamer to ply upon it, tho sud- 
denness of the bendings would prevent navigation ; but, 
should the country ever become civilized, tho Chobo would 
be a convenient natural canal. Wo spent forty-two and a 
half hours, paddling at the rate of five miles an hour, in 
coming from Linyanti to tho confluence; there we found a 
dike of amygdaloid lying across tho Loeambye. 
Tho actual point of confluence of the Chobo and the 
Leoambyo is ill defined, on account of each dividing into 
several branches as they inosculate ; but when tho whole 
body of water collects into one bed it is a goodly sight 
