Chap. XII. 
ASCENT OF THE LEEAMBYE. 
211 
CHAPTEK XIL 
Procure canoes and ascend the Leeambye — Beautiful islands —• Winter land¬ 
scape ■— Industry and skill of the Banyeti —■ Rapids — Falls of Gonye — 
Tradition — Annual inundations — Fertility of the great Barotse valley 
— Execution of two conspirators — Tlie slave-dealer’s stockade — Naliele, 
the capital, built on an artificial mound — Santiiru, a great hunter ~ The 
Barotse method of commemorating any remarkable event — Better treat¬ 
ment of women — More religious feeling — Belief in a future state, and in 
the existence of spiritual beings—Gardens — Fish, fruit, and game — Pro¬ 
ceed to the limits of the Barotse country — Sekeletu provides rowers and 
a herald — Tlie river and vicinity — Hippopotamus-hunters — No healthy 
location — Determine to go to Loanda — Buffaloes, elands, and lions above 
Libonta Interview with the Mambari — Two Arabs from Zanzibar — 
Their opinion of the Portuguese and the English — Reach the town of Ma- 
Sekeletu — Joy of the people at this the first visit of their chief — Return 
to Sesheke — Heathenism. 
Having at last procured a sufficient number of canoes, we 
began to ascend the river. I had the choice of the whole fleet, 
and selected the best, though not the largest; it was thirty-four 
feet long by twenty inches wide. I had six paddlers, and the 
larger canoe of Sekeletu had ten. They stand upright, and 
keep the stroke with great precision, though they change from 
side to side as the course demands. The men at the head 
and stern are selected from the strongest and most exj)ert of 
the whole. The canoes, being flat-bottomed, can go into very 
shallow water; and whenever the men can feel the bottom they 
use the paddles, wliich are about eight feet long, as poles to 
punt with. Our fleet consisted of tlurty-three canoes, and about 
one hundred and sixty men. It was beautiful to see them 
skimming along so quickly, and keeping the time so well. On 
land the Makalaka fear the Makololo; on water the Makololo 
fear them, and cannot prevent them from racing with each 
other, dashing along at the top of their speed, and placing their 
masters’ lives in danger. In the event of a capsize many of the 
Makololo would sink like stones. A case of this kind happened 
on the first day of our voyage up. The wind, blowing generally 
from the east, raises very large waves on the Leeambye. An 
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