286 
THE NEW AFRICA 
who allowed us to get ahead, branched off, and after we had 
gone nine miles we came to a sand dune, rising rapidly fifty feet 
high or more, when my companion, handing me the gun, pointed 
forward, and told me to go ‘ that way ’; then, turning off* to the 
left, he disappeared amongst the trees. On looking around, I 
was much surprised to find myself quite alone, without any sign 
of Tschukoorroo’s men, whom I had thought to be close behind 
a short while ago. However, taking my guide’s advice, I crossed 
over the apex of the sand dune, and saw a reedy, rush-grown, 
expansive plain stretched out before me, that proved to be Lake 
Ngami. I walked down to the water for a drink, and then pro¬ 
ceeded slowly along the sandy shore of the lake, here fringed 
by trees for a mile or more, and, finding a large shady tree, I 
lay down under it, and waited for the rest of the expedition, 
who, following my track, made clear intentionally in the sand 
by my deserted guide, came up later, and we camped under the 
tree. We noticed many men riding about on pack oxen, and 
guiding their mounts by a stout string fixed through the septum 
of the nose. I bought a beautiful otter skin from one of these 
travellers for a coloured cotton handkerchief. 
While we were waiting, three delegates from the king came 
in the afternoon to question us regarding our presence in the 
country, demanding to know the reason of our exploring the 
back part of Moremi’s Land, and mentioned that they had heard 
we had Matabele people with us, whom we were guiding to show 
them the secret passages to Moremi’s strongholds in the reeds. 
A report had come in from Khama at Shoshong that a white 
man had undertaken to ferret out the secrets of their hidden 
crossings to the islands, for Lobengula of Matabeleland, who 
had promised him a high reward in cattle if he were successful. 
In answer we told them the plain unvarnished tale of our 
journey, emphasising the fact that we had never been near the 
Matabele king’s towns, and only had passed through the western 
portion of that country, via Makarikari to Panda Matenga. 
They still were very suspicious, and questioned our boys minutely 
with regard to our movements and intentions, and asked how it 
