64 
THE QUAKERS OF AFRICA. 
Chap. HI. 
and died. His death had a good effect, for the villagers connected 
it with the injury he was attempting to do to us. They all saw 
tlirough Sekomi’s reasons for wishing us to fail in our attempt; 
and though they came to us at first armed, kind and fair treat¬ 
ment soon produced perfect confidence. 
When we had gone up the bank of this beautiful river about 
ninety-six miles from the point where we first struck it, and 
understood that we were still a considerable distance from the 
Ngami, we left all the oxen and waggons, except Mr. Oswell’s, 
wliich was the smallest, and one team, at Ngabisane, in the 
hope that they would be recruited for the home journey, while 
we made a push for the lake. The Bechuana chief of the Lake 
region, who had sent men to Sechele, now sent orders to all 
the people on the river to assist us, and we were received by 
the Bakoba, whose language clearly shows that they bear an 
affinity to the tribes in the north. They call tjiemselves Bayeiye, 
e. men; but the Bechuanas call them Bakoba, which contains 
somewhat of the idea of slaves. They have never been known to 
fight, and, mdeed, have a tradition that their forefathers, in their 
first essays at war, made their bows of the Palma-Clmisti; and, 
when these broke, they gave up fighting altogether. They have 
uivariably submitted to tlie rule of every horde which has overrun 
the countries adjacent to the rivers on which they specially love 
to dwell. They are thus the Quakers of the body pohtic in 
Africa. 
A long time after the period of our visit, the chief of the Lake, 
tliinking to make soldiers of them, took the trouble to furnish 
them with sliields. “ Ah! we never had these before; that is 
the reason we have always succumbed. Now we will fight.” 
But a marauding party came from the Makololo, and our 
‘‘Friends” at once paddled quickly, night and day, down the 
Zouga, never daring to look behind them till they reached the 
end of the river, at the point where we first saw it. 
The canoes of these uiland sailors are truly primitive craft: 
they are hollowed out of the trunks of single trees by means of 
iron adzes; and, if the tree has a bend, so has the canoe. I liked 
the frank and manly bearing of these men, and, instead of sitting 
in the waggon, preferred a seat in one of the canoes. I found 
they regarded their rude vessels as the Arab does his camel. 
