DISTANCE TO OKAVANGO 
171 
This indiscretion of Paul’s and Styrman’s caused many 
surly glances to be thrown at them by the natives, that boded 
no good to their well-being. 
On the 14th of August in the evening, seven Mombo- 
kooshus, subjects of Debabe on the Okavango, came to our 
camp from the north, headed by a strong-featured, large-headed 
old man of very commanding ways and violent temper, called 
Sakoonima. They had been into the Barotzi valley, trading for 
hoes and spears and other ironware which they got in exchange 
for ostrich feathers, and were carrying with them. They had 
just crossed the Chobe from the north side 
on their way home to the Okavango. This 
was most opportune for us, for here were 
guides, so to speak, made to order to take 
us across the intervening sand-belts to 
Debabe or Indala as he is also called. 
From a Portuguese 
map in our possession, we 
estimated the distance 
across the desert to be 
under eighty miles, but 
this proved wrong, as the 
river’s course in this map 
had been laid down from 
native hearsay only, no 
proper measurements ever 
having been made. In 
fact we were the first white people that ever trod this particu¬ 
larly neglected corner of South Africa. 
We were pretty well convinced from what had passed that 
Matambanja would send us no bearers, so we tried, by making 
friends with the small chief Kikonto, living opposite to us 
across the Liana river, to acquire his influence amongst the 
people of his district, in order to forward us over to the Oka¬ 
vango river. Kikonto told us to wait till next day, when he 
would see what could be done in the matter. 
SAKOONIMA 
