68 
THE BAMANGWATO AND THEIK CHIEF. Chap. III. 
copious flow. It resembles a deserted Eastern garden, where all 
the embankments and canals for irrigation can be traced, but 
where, the main dam and sluices having been allowed to get out 
of repair, only a small portion can be laid under water. In the 
case of the Zouga the channel is perfect, but water enough to fiU 
the whole channel never comes down; and before it finds its way 
much beyond Kumadau, the upper supply ceases to run, and 
the rest becomes evaporated. The higher parts of its bed even 
are much broader and more capacious than the lower towards 
Kumadau, The water is not absorbed so much as lost in filling 
up an empty channel, from which it is to be removed by the 
afr and sun. There is, I am convinced, no such thing in the 
country as a river running into sand and becoming lost. This 
phenomenon, so convenient for geographers, haunted my fancy 
for years; but I have failed in discovering anything except a 
most insignificant approach to it. 
My chief object in coming to the lake was to visit Sebituane, 
the great chief of the Makololo, who was reported to live some two 
hundred miles beyond. We had now come to a half-tribe of the 
Bamangwato, called Batauana. Their chief was a young man 
named Lechulatebe. Sebituane had conquered his father Mo- 
remi, and Lechulatebe received part of his education while a 
captive among the Bayeiye. His uncle, a sensible man, ran¬ 
somed liim; and, having collected a number of families together, 
abdicated the cliieftainship in favour of his nephew. As Lechu¬ 
latebe had just come into power, he imagined that the proper 
way of showing his abilities was to act directly contrary to every¬ 
thing that his uncle advised. When we came, the uncle recom¬ 
mended him to treat us handsomely, therefore the hopeful youth 
presented us with a goat only. It ought to have been an ox. 
So I proposed to my companions to loose the animal and let him 
go, as a hint to Ms master. They, however, did not wish to 
insult him. I, being more of a native, and familiar with their 
customs, knew that this shabby present was an insult to us. 
We wished to purchase some goats or oxen; Lechulatebe offered 
us elephants’ tusks. “ No, we cannot eat these; w^e want some- 
tiling to fill our stomachs.” “ Keither can I; but I hear you 
wliite men are all very fond of these bones, so I offer them; 
I want to put the goats into my own stomach.” A trader, who 
