242 
THE NEW AFRICA 
the boulders lay more in the centre of the stream. Then, first 
baling her out rapidly by dexterous manipulation with the 
flat paddles, they would pull out into the stronger current, 
and, facing round, would shoot down the rapids between the 
rocks while standing bolt upright in their frail little craft, 
and with occasional vigorous strokes here and there would 
direct the course of their canoes, which appeared to us like thin 
little black lines, just visible above the surging water, as they 
dashed past between the black boulders, and then, caught by 
a whirlpool, would whisk round once or twice before reaching 
calmer water below. Then, with a shout to attract attention 
from the onlookers, they would throw the water shipped during 
the passage sparkling high into the air with their paddles, 
vaunting their dexterity in having passed through without 
shipping more than one or two paddlesful as the case might 
be, while the quantity was jealously computed by the other 
boatmen, who seemed to feel a keen sense of rivalry at this 
kind of sport, a fact showing that this is one of their national 
pastimes. 
As soon as we had transported the goods to a convenient 
tree by the river-bank where we camped, two tall, graceful 
men, with the slightly oblique eyes that characterise the 
Bechuanas, dressed in good European clothes, came up and ten¬ 
dered us the time of day (‘Dumela Morehn’)in the language 
we were both surprised and pleased to hear—Sechuana. These 
were the people we had observed with so much interest from 
the other side of the river. ‘ Dumela Morehn ? 5 what people 
could these be ? and what could they be doing so far from their 
homes ? They told us that they came from Lake Ngami, 
on business with Indala, for whom they expressed a cordial 
dislike; and although at first we mistrusted them acutely, the 
leader, Intuhe by name, with his gentlemanly manners and 
quiet ways, so won upon our feelings that before the day was 
over we had already begun to look on him as a friend. He 
told us that he was here with three hundred men, who were 
camped close by in the sand-belt to the west, and that he would 
