THRILLING ADVENTURES IN AFRICA. 
177 
Having satisfied himself of the existence of a promising field 
for missionary effort, he returned to the Kuruman station, rested 
there for three months, and then took up his quarters in the Bak- 
wain country itself, at the present Litubaruba, at that time known 
as Lepelole. 
Determined to neglect nothing which could in any way promote 
his success with the natives, Livingstone now cut himself off from 
all intercourse with Europeans for six months, devoting himself 
to acquiring an insight into the habits, ways of thinking, laws, and 
language of the Bechuanas, and in laying the foundations of a settle¬ 
ment by making a canal for irrigation purposes from a river near by. 
A TIRESOME JOURNEY ON FOOT. 
These preliminaries being well advanced, our hero paid a visit 
to the Bakaa, Bamangwato, and the Makalaka. The greater part 
of this trip was performed on foot, the draught oxen being ill, and 
some of the natives forming the escort observed in Livingstone's 
hearing, not knowing that he understood them—“He is not strong; 
he is quite slim, and only seems stout because he puts himself into 
those bags [trousers]; he will break down." Stung by these dero¬ 
gatory remarks on his appearance, Livingstone revenged himself by 
keeping the whole party at highest speed for several days, and was 
rewarded later by hearing them speak no more disrespectfully of his 
pedestrian powers. 
Having, without knowing it, approached to within ten days’ 
journey of Lake N’gami, afterwards discovered by him, our hero 
went back to Kuruman to bring his luggage to the site of his pro¬ 
posed settlement, but before he could do so, came the disappointing 
news that the Bakwains, with whom he had become friendly, had 
been driven from Lepelole by the Baralongs, rendering it impossible 
for him to carry out his original plan. 
With the courage and energy which distinguished him from 
the first, Livingstone at once set about looking for some other site, 
and after a journey to Bamangwato, to restore to chief Sekomi 
several of his people who had come down with him to the Kuruman, 
and for whose safety he felt responsible, he selected the beautiful 
H. B. 
