236 
PEOGRESS UP THE LEEAMBYE. 
Chap. XIII. 
times they introduced tlie most frivolous nonsense, immediately 
after hearing the most solemn truths. Some begin to pray to 
Jesus in secret as soon as they hear of the white man’s God, 
with but little idea of what they are about; and no doubt are 
heard by Him who, like a father, pitieth his children. Others, 
waking by night, recollect what has been said about the future 
world so clearly, that they tell next day what a fright they got 
by it, and resolve not to listen to the teaching again; and not a 
few keep to the determination not to believe, as certain villagers 
in the south, who put all their cocks to death because they crowed 
the words, “ Tlang lo rapeleng ”—Come along to prayers.” 
On recovering partially from a severe attack of fever which 
remained upon me ever since our passing the village of Moremi 
on the Chobe, we made ready for our departure up the river by 
sending messages before us to the villages to prepare food. We 
took four elephants’ tusks, belonging to Sekeletu, with us, as a 
means of testing the diiference of prices between the Portuguese, 
whom we expected to reach, and the white traders from the 
south. Moriantsane supplied us well with honey, milk, and 
meal. The rains were just commencing in this district; but 
though showers sufficient to lay the dust had fallen, they had 
no influence whatever on the amount of water in the river, yet 
never was there less in any part than three hundred yards of a 
deep flowing stream. 
Our progress up the river was rather slow: this was caused 
by waiting opposite different villages for supplies of food. We 
might have done with much less than we got; but my Makololo 
man, Pitsane, knew of the generous orders of Sekeletu, and was 
not at all disposed to allow them to remain a dead letter. The 
villages of the Banyeti contributed large quantities of mosibe, 
a bright red bean yielded by a large tree. The pulp enclosing 
the seed is not much thicker than a red wafer, and is the por¬ 
tion used. It requires the addition of honey to render it at all 
palatable. 
To these were added great numbers of the fruit which yields 
a variety of the nux vomica, from which we derive that virulent 
poison strychnia. The pulp between the nuts is the part eaten, 
and it is of a pleasant juicy nature, having a sweet acidulous 
taste. The fruit itself resembles a large yellow orange, but the 
