CHAPTER XVI 
Sakoonima gets nasty—Watershed between Chobe and Okovanga—Arrive at 
small village of Okovanga people —Game very scarce—Hunt after wildebeest 
—Men from Kikonto’s overtake us with message—Boy nearly kills himself 
with ‘ dacha ’ smoke—The effects of ‘dacha 5 smoke—Makoy o, Debabe’s nephew 
—Quagga hunt—Buffalo game—Native smithy. 
Next day, before starting, old Sakoonima refused to move until 
we bad paid bim tbe goods promised for his assistance. To 
all our arguments be remained stolid, and simply sat by tbe fire 
sulkily bursting out into fits of temper, until we thought, to 
have tbe matter settled once and for all, perhaps it would be 
best to meet bim in bis demands, as beyond our word be had 
no guarantee that be would ever be paid. This settled, our 
early march of three miles in a westerly direction brought us 
to a fine pan of water, where we breakfasted in sight of much 
game overrunning the country, and then going in a north¬ 
westerly direction slightly south, for some miles, we came to 
a long open valley half a mile broad, with a distinct trend 
to the west. Further down this valley we came to a series 
of large pools of bluish water, evidently the beginning of some 
stream flowing westward. The spot where we breakfasted seems 
to be the watershed between the Okovanga and the Chobe. 
A total day’s march of twelve miles brought us to a fine group 
of mabula trees, growing somewhat south of the valley con¬ 
taining the pools of water, and surrounding a beautiful grass- 
grown pool to which, from its nature, we gave the name of 
‘ Sweet Water Pan.’ 
Here we camped for the night, and prepared our meal of 
mabulas in the native fashion by boiling a soup of them; and 
after a hearty meal, none the less enjoyable for the day’s hard 
