A PARTY OP BAMANGWATOS. 253 
in it; but, alas! I had only four words in my voca¬ 
bulary— 4 beads,’ 4 go,’ 4 good morning,’ and 4 wagon.’ 
The two former and latter had the desired effect, and 
they came to the wagon, but left again as wise as 
they came, as w T e could not understand one another, 
even by signs. When I tried to explain to them 
that I wanted to go to Lechulatebe, the captain 
living on Lake Ngami, a very decided shake of the 
head, and their villanous 4 ngaw,’ like a spoiled child, 
was all I got. I left them in utter despair. 
Things never come to the worst but they mend; 
and in hunting my oxen, which had wandered very 
far up the river, I came across a party of Bamang¬ 
watos — men, women, girls, boys, dogs, and pack- 
oxen — exulting over the carcase of a roybuck. I 
shook hands with the greatest delight with these fel¬ 
lows, who understood a slight smattering of Dutch, 
and who asked me for meat. Not five minutes after 
I left them, having made a promise that they would 
come to the wagon, the dogs bayed an old eland bull 
in the thick bush, and I shot him dead ere he knew 
danger was at hand, to the inexpressible joy of these 
Bamangwatos. 
Though all hopes of shooting elephants were at an 
end, I positively jumped for joy when they told me 
they were going direct to Mangwato’s, and would 
gladly assist me to the utmost of their power, if I 
would give them a little powder and lead, and a 
heifer to the foreloper and cattle vachter. My 
mind was at.ease again, and I gave them the whole 
