232 
BA^TKS OF THE CHOBE—TREES. 
Chap. XIII. 
the rogue elejDhants, are extremely dangerous. We came, at 
this time, to a canoe, which had been smashed to pieces by a 
blow from the hind foot of one of them. I was informed by my 
men that, in the event of a similar assault being made upon 
ours, the proper way was to dive to the bottom of the river, and 
hold on there for a few seconds, because the hippopotamus, after 
breaking a canoe, always looks for the people on the surface, 
and, if he sees none, he soon moves off. I have seen some 
frightful gashes made on the legs of the people who have had 
the misfortune to be attacked, and were unable to dive. This 
animal uses his teeth as an offensive weapon, though he is quite 
a herbivorous feeder. One of these ‘‘ bachelors,” living near the 
confluence, actually came out of liis lair, and, putting his head 
down, ran after some of our men who were passing with very 
considerable speed. 
The part of the river called Zabesa, or Zabenza, is spread out 
like a little lake, surrounded on all sides by dense masses of tall 
reeds. The river below that, is always one hundred or one 
hundred and twenty yards broad, deep, and never dries up so 
much as to become fordable. At certain parts, where the 
partial absence of reeds affords a view of the opposite banks, the 
Makololo have placed villages of observation against their ene¬ 
mies the Matebele. We visited all these in succession, and 
found here, as everywhere in the Makololo country, orders had 
preceded us, ^‘that Nake (hake means doctor) must not be 
allowed to become hungry.” 
The banks of the Chobe, like those of the Zonga, are of soft 
calcareous tufa, and the river has cut out for itself a deep, per¬ 
pendicular-sided bed. Where the banks are high, as at the spot 
where the waggons stood in 1851, they are covered with magni¬ 
ficent trees, the habitat of tsetse, and the retreat of various ante¬ 
lopes, wild hogs, zebras, buffaloes, and elephants. 
Among the trees may be observed some species of the Ficus 
indica, light-green coloured acacias, the splendid motsintsela, 
and evergreen cypress-shaped motsouri. The fruit of the last- 
named was ripe, and the villagers presented many dishes of its 
beautiful pink-coloured plums; they are used chiefly to form a 
pleasant acid drink. The motsintsela is a very lofty tree, 
yielding a wood of which good canoes are made ; the fruit is 
