208 
THE LEEAMBYE. 
Chap. XI. 
Our course at tliis time led us to a part above Sesbeke, called 
Katonga, where there is a village belonging to a Bashubia man 
named Sekhosi—latitude 17° 29' 13", longitude 24° 33'. The 
river here is somewhat broader than at Sesheke, and certainly 
not less than six hundred yards. It flows somewhat slowly in the 
first part of its eastern course. When the canoes came from Sek¬ 
hosi to take us over, one of the comrades of Sebituane rose, and, 
lookmg to Sekeletu, called out, “The elders of a host always 
take the lead in an attack.” This was understood at once ; and 
Sekeletu, with all the young men, were obliged to give the 
elders the precedence, and remain on the southern bank and see 
that aU went orderly into the canoes. It took a considerable 
time to ferry over the whole of our large party, as, even with 
quick paddling, from six to eight minutes were spent in the 
mere passage from bank to bank. 
Several days were spent in collecting canoes from different 
villages on the river, wliich we now learned is called by the 
whole of the Barotse the Liambai, or Leeambye. This we could 
not ascertain on our first visit, and, consequently, called the river 
after the town, “Sesheke.” This term Sesheke means “white 
sand-banks,” many of which exist at this part. There is another 
village in the valley of the Barotse likewise called Sesheke, and 
for the same reason; but the term Leeambye means “ the large 
river,” or the river par excellence. Luambeji, Luambesi, Ambezi, 
Ojimbesi, and Zambesi, &c., are names applied to it at different 
parts of its course, according to the dialect spoken, and aU pos¬ 
sess a similar signification, and express the native idea of tliis 
magnificent stream being the main drain of the country. 
In order to assist in the support of our large party, and at the 
same time to see the adjacent country, I went several times, 
dm’ing om’ stay, to the north of the village for game. The 
cormtry is covered with clumps of beautiful trees, among which 
fine open glades stretch away in every dfrection; when the river 
is in flood these are inundated, but the tree-covered elevated 
spots are much more numerous here than in the country between 
the Chobe and the Leeambye. The soil is dark loam, as it is 
everywhere on spots reached by the inundation, wliile among the 
trees it is sandy, and not covered so densely with grass as else¬ 
where. A sandy ridge covered with trees, running parallel to, 
