ZI^ -r---ir,n ' ,- -'-fX\ %/n-!iwi-iO- '/^a3AlNiT3\V^ ^AavHan-Y^ TRAVELS INTERIOR OF SOUTH AFRICA. VOL. II. LONDON: PRISTRD BT WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, ^TAMfOIlD STBEKT AND CUAarNG CROSS. TRAVELS INTERIOR OF SOUTH AFRICA, COJrP RISING fixfimx ^tdXB Pitnthtig mttr ^rabmg; ^' Ob WITH JOURNEYS ACROSS THE CONTINENT FROM NATAL TO WALVISCH BAY, AND VISITS TO LAKE NGAMI AND THE VICTORIA FALLS. JAMES CHAPMAN, F.R.G.S. ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS AND NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: BELL & DALDY, YOEK STEEET, COVENT GAEDEN EDWAED STANFOED, 6, CHAEING CEOSS. MDCCCLXVIII. CONTENTS OF VOL. II. CHAPTER I. PAGE Journey to Kopjies — Native Forms of Grief — Leave for the Lake — Its present Aspect — Native Stork — Violent Thunder-storm — Letters from my Brother — Return to Koobie — An Elephant-hunt — An un- expected Pleasure — Plan of future Proceedings — Mortality among Dogs — Storks — Edible Gourds — Journey Northwardly — Encounter with hostile Bushmen — Elephants at Sleepy Hollow — The Teouge Valley — A fruitless Chase — Charge of Elephants — The Horned Snake — The Ovampos — Back to Union Valley — New Year's Vley . . 1 CHAPTEE II. At the Kopjies again — Proceed to the Botletlie River — Tree-Snakes — Ostriches — the Quabie Hills — Mortality among the Dogs — Native Fruits — Occupations of Natives — Native Conjurors — Move to the Eastward — Native Trees — Makhato's Village — Native Turtle — Eagles — Atmospheric Phenomena — Contributions to Natural His- tory — Elephants again — Salt-pans — Mirage — Gradual Desiccation of the Country 32 CHAPTEE III. Large Baobab Tree — Gnus — Encounter with Rhinoceros — Palm Trees ■ — Morals and Manners of the Bushmen — Advance to the Zambesi — Tsagobye — The Ntwetwe Salt-pan — Roan Antelopes — Native Hunt- 1C96444 CONTENTS. PAGE ing pits — Formation of the Ngami Basin — Bushmen — Tree-Lizanls — Lion-killins .. •• •• •■ •• •■ •• ..63 CHAPTER IV. Metsi-botuko — The Salt Lake and Ntwetwe Basins — Poison-shrub— Puif-Adders — Watering-places in the Desert — Tsamafupa — Seringa Forests — Approach to the Zambesi Basin — Daka — Interview with Makalakas — The Sable Antelope — Native Customs — Final Start for the " Falls "—Difficulties of Approach— First view of the " Falls " —The Goal reached— Our Camp at the " Falls " 83 CHAPTER V. The Local Chief, or Head-man — Second Visit to the Falls — Scenery of the Zambesi — Garden Island — Hippopotami — The Kalai Eapids — Mode of Life at the Falls — The Masoe Eiver — Umboopo's Village — The Makololo — Prospects of Trade — Leave the Falls — The Keyzie River — Destruction of Elephants .. •• .. .. .. 125 CHAPTER VI. Eeturn to Daka — Native Honey — Adventures with Rhinoceros — Start for Sinamani's — Watershed — Reach the Boana River — Makalaka Singing — Native Smithj' — Makalaka Customs — Ravages of Lions — Increasing Heat — White and Black Ants — Wasps — A Makalaka Village — Hunting Excm-sions — Various Species of Rhinoceros — Adventure with Buffaloes — Start again for the River . . . . 15.5 CHAPTER VII. Start for Sinamani's — A Whirlwind — Mazhanga — A Leopard Trap — The Kakobi, or Little Zambesi — Machinge' — Geological Features — The Matietsie — Reach the Zambesi again — Wankie — Camp at the Zambesi — Perplexities of our Situation — The Gwai or Quagga River — Meeting of the Waters — Hippopotami — Intense Heat — The Zam- besi Valley — Native Plants — Population of the Zambesi Valley — Reach Sinamani's — Interview with the Chief .. .. .. 177 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. PAGE Eain-Doctors — Matabele Outrages — Return to the Gwai — Scenery of the Gwai Valley — Geological Conditions — A Buffalo Chase — Rhi- noceros — Tsetse again — The Batonga Language — Musical Perfor- mances — " God Save the Queen !" — Native Cookery — Difficulties with our Followers — Progress of the Boat-building — Logier Hill — The Luluesi River — Mourning for the Dead — Crocodiles abundant — Baboons — New Quagga — Reach the Wagons — Results accomplished to the Present Time 208 CHAPTER IX. Hunting for both Establishments — Native Bees — Effects of Rain — Native Insects — Fishes — Wasps' Nests — Crocodile Pond — Serious Accident to one of our Followers — A Surgical Operation — Continued Bad Weather — Fireflies — Lizards — Stinging Ants — Fear of the Tsetse again — Carnivora of South Africa — End of the Year 1862 229 CHAPTER X. Progress of the Boat-building — Continued Illness — Our Distressed Condition — More Sickness — Knob-noses — Disasters at the Boat- building Establishment — Resolve on moving the Wagons — The Tsetse again — Send for Baines — Night Attack of Wolves — Meteoro- logical Phenomena — 'Distant Smoke-Cloud of the " Falls " — Baines arrives from the River — Abandonment of the Camp on the Zambesi — Sufferings among the Men — Move to the Westward — Weather Observations — Increasing Distresses — Difficulties of the return Journey — Native Credulity — At Daka again . . . . . . 252 CHAPTER XI. The Camp at Daka — Native Flora — Night Encounter with Lions — Damara Superstitions — Makalaka Customs — Abundance of Native Vegetation — Progress Westward — At Juruga — Native Fruits and Insects — Characteristics of the Desert — Small-pox .. .. ., 278 CHAPTER XII. Mirage — Native Salt — Reach the Botletlie River — Ford at Sama- ganga's — Makato's Village — Boat Voyage on the Botletlie — Changes in the Ngami Basin — At Lechidatfebe's Town — The Author's Bro- ther arrives at the Lake — His Disasters — Projects for the Future — Proceed from the Lake to Otjimbcngue .. .. .. ..301 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIII. FAGK From Otjimbengue to Walvisch Bay — Geological Observations — Air- plants — Wilson's Fountains — Limit of Sea-Fog — Hykamgoub — Return to the Interior — At Otjimbengue again — Eesidence at the Schwagoup- — Remove into the Hottentot Country — Interview with - -Jan Jonker — Proceed again to the Bay — The Kaan Valley — Native Politics — Engagement between Damaras and Africaners — Start again for the Interior — Final Determination to leave the Country — Voyage to Cape Town " .. .. .. ., .. ., 316 APPENDIX. Descriptive Xotes of Animals of Intektropical South Africa 333 Descriptive Notes of some of the Birds of Intertropical South Africa .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 345 Index to descriptive Notes of South African Birds .. .. 429 Remarks on Insects .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 435 Notes on Trees, &c., of the Zambesi .. .. .. .. 438 The Baobab .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 441 Rough Notes on the Flora of Natal .. .. .. .. 445 Lecture on the Botany of Natal, by Rev. E, Armitage, M.A. 458 List of Natal Trees .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 464 Geological Notes on the Line of Route from the West Coast to the Copper Mines in the interior of Damara Land .. 466 Heights BY Boiling Water .. .. .. .. .. .. 467 Distances by the Wagon Road from Walvisch Bay tj Lake Ngami .. .. .. .. .. .. ,, .. 467 List of Heights from Colesberg, in the Cape Colony, to Barmen, in Damara Land .. .. .. .. .. 468 Hints to Travellers .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 469 Notes ox the Damara Language .. .. .. .. .. 473 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. II. PAGE Photography under Diffictjlties .. .. .. Frontispiece Council of War at Lake Xgami : Mahalaki^e addressing the Multitude .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Deserted by my Horse .. .. .. .. .. ..22 A Bechuana Warrior (from a Drawing by Charlks Bell, Esi].) . . 49 lN^IDE OF Makato's Village, Botletlie Eiver : Implements, &c. 51 Slaying a White Ehinoceros .. .. .. .. ..69 The Victoria Waterfall from the West End, with the Leap- ing Water in the Foreground .. .. .. .. ..]13 Voyaging down the Zambesi.. .. -. .. .. ..131 View looking East from the Garden Island, in the Middle of the Falls.. .. .. .. .. .. ,. ,. 134 Middle of the Falls .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 152 Ehinoceros Mohugu, and Horn of the supposed Kobaoba .. 171 One of Wankie's Wives .. .. .. .. .. ..186 Brilliant Meteor on the Zambesi Eiver.. .. .. .. 205 The New Quagga .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 223 View near the Zambesi. — Troop of Quaggas .. .. .. 265 Walvisch Bay, with the Sand-Hllls in the. Distance .. 329 ERRATA TO VOT.. 11. Page 16 fov " M. horrldicus " read " Mimosa horrida.'' 73 for " Nucifera " read " Cucifera." „ 136 hi " Crucif era" read" Cucifera." „ 170 for " Bhin. Sinusus " read " Rhin. Simus." „ 353 for " QJ^denamus " read " CEdicnemus." „ 356 fov " Protincola " rend " Pratincola." „ 407 for " Nectarina " read " Nedarinia." „ 409 for " Hirimdo rupestrio " read " Hirundo rupestris." ., 416 for " Tringa Squatavola" read " Tringa Squatarola." i ., 446 for " 3Iimneops " read " Mimusops." ,, 447 for " Foivrea prasteosa" read " Poirrea hrarteosa." „ ., for " Catta" read " Calla." ,, „ for " Arduicia" read " Arduina." ,, 448 for " Aleophila " read " Alsopliila." „ „ for " Todex" read " Todea." „ „ for " OreodapMce " read " Oreodaphne.'' „ 449 for " Oncolea " read '■ Oncoba.'' „ „ for " Violaricm " read " Violariga." ,, 450 for "Japindus" read " Sapindus." „ ,, for " Caiai^ewrfron " read " Calodendron." „ „ for " Myarisin " read " Myar/s." „ 451 for " Dicrostachus " read " Vicrostachys." „ 452 for " Lorunthus" read " Loranthus." „ ,, for " Eugeina " read " Eugenia." „ 453 for " Graphalium " read " Gnaplialium." „ ,, for " Brehumia" read " Brelimia.'' ,, „ for " Ardrima" read " Ardruina." „ „ for " Mucaria " read " Uncaria." ,, „ for " Scropilmlariceie" read " Scrophulariacea;." „ ,, for " Supotacex " read " Sapotacex." „ „ for "S'oZan'ce^" read " /SoZawaceaj." ,, 456 for " Iparaxis " read " Sparaxis." ,, „ for " Axistea" read '^ Aristea." ,, „ for " ilforoca " read " ilforcea." „ 457 for " Sycopodiums" read " Lijcopods." „ „ for " L. quidiodes " read " L. gnidioides." „ „ for ''Commelinocex" read " Commelinacess." „ 464 for " Xrawssama WMJis " read " XrartssamanMS." „ ,, for " Calpurnia laziogyne " read " Calpurnia lasiogyiie.'' „ „ for " Chatachme " read " Chsetachme." „ „ for " Dalbergia abovata " read " DaJhergia obovnta." „ „ for " i?McZeM " read " ^Mcfeffl." „ „ for " CrfircZmm " read " CarfZenm." „ ,, for " Kigelia pinata " read " Kigelia piimata." „ 465 for "■ Sderveroton integref alius " read " ScJerocroton integr if alius.' „ „ for " Sizygyium" read ^^ Syzygium." „ „ for " Sclerorya " read " Sderocarya." „ „ for " Zizyphus macronafa" read " Sizyphus murrnnafus." CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. CHAPTER I. Journey to Koi^jies — Native Forms of Grief — 'Leave for the Lake — Its present Aspect — Native Stork — Violent Thunder-storm — F-etters from my Brother — Return to Koobie — An Elephant-hunt — An unexpected Pleasure — Plan of future Proceedings — Mortality among Dogs — Storks — Edible Gourds — Journey Northwardlj' — Encounter with hostile Bush- men — Elephants at Sleepy Hollow — The Teouge A'alley — A fruitless Chase — A Charge of Elephants — The Horned Snake — 'The Ovambos — Back to Union Valley — New Year's Vley. Saturday, 23rd November, 1861. — We started for the Kopjies, which we reached next day, having had heavy rain during the journey. On the morrow I was out on foot from sum-ise till sunset, and must have walked 30 miles, but got nothing in the shape of game, excepting one fennec and one guinea-fowl. It is amusing to observe the figure some of our people cut in their ragged garments. ^Ye keep those about the wagons respectably clothed, but the herdsmen and their wives are also ambitious to figure in castaway rags. I bring my old clothes from town to wear out here, after which I jrave them to the head-men, who valued them highly. From them they pass, and after a good deal of further wear and tear, to the VOL. II. B 2 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. i. leaders ; and when the latter consider them worn out, they hand them over to inferiors. Sometimes the women get hold of them, and out of the remains of a pair of trousers make an apron, their only garment, or a turban. To-day I noticed a pair of Baines's old drill trousers on a man : but a very small part consisted of the drill, the rest being made up by a patch- work of rags most indefatigably stitched together, and comprising, besides the drill, serge, flannel, gunny-bag, coffee- sacking, calico, moleskin, and canvas. Both Damaras and Hottentots look well in their native costume, but I was shocked at the sight of a native woman in her proper dress, and wearing a pair of my cast-off boots. I asked Snyman, whom I had seen at Sekeletu's in 1853, why their chief attacked Lechulatebe at that time. He says it was only to obtain cattle, and amongst themselves they never pretended that it was for anything else. They had plundered, as he boasted to me, all the tribes round there, and there was no place for them to go that was so near. They were seriously planning an attack on Sekomi, in the south, when Dr. Livingstone dissuaded them from so rash an enter- prise, and that decided them on making this inroad on Lechulatebe's territory. Lechulatebe has now killed twenty of Sekeletu's men, who came to levy taxes upon people on the Tamalukau. Tliursdaij, 2Sth. — I sent John off early this morning to hunt elephants. He returned at night, having seen plenty of fresh spoor ; but his boy had lost himself, with the water and provisions, and he \Aas obliged to return. I found water five miles to the north-west, this being in the course we have laid down for our expedition on leaving Quarantine vley. The lemur is now quite lively. He is fond of milk and sugar, and soft gruel. The little animal was tame from the time lie wan caught. He gives his head to be scratched and jumps about on onr hands and faces. He notices every CHAr. I.] A HAVOURY DISH. 3 change made in the wagon, and is then a little bewildered, not eating his supper so freely ; but after putting out the light I always hear him munching. In order to give my brother time to overtake us, we will meanwhile, when we have rain-water enough for the purpose, endeavour to explore 300 miles of the country across the desert north-west to Andersson's last point. We shall leave one wao;on and most of the cattle somewhere within 50 miles of this. Monday, 2nd December. — The chief's messengers leave us. Finished and mounted an axle (of motseara wood), on wliich John has been long at Avork, for one of the wagons. Baines ate a frog : the dish was as savoury as it was delicate, the roe being considered the best part. Next day we packed the wagons for a start to the lake on the morrow, but at night again found three head of cattle and a calf showing symptoms of lung-sickness. Thursday, 5th December. — At the moment when the oxen were brouglit up to be inspanned, old Dikkop's wife came running over in deep distress, saying her husband was dying. I was absent at the time, but went to see him as soon as I heard of it. I have not witnessed such a distressing spectacle for a long time, if ever. The women had carried him out into the bushes to die, and were all squatted round him, howling a most doleful and melancholy dirge, bathing and chafing his hands, while he lay insensible, with his head resting on his wife's lap, only giving occasional signs of life by a laboured gasp. I felt much concerned for him ; he is one of the most trustworthy men I have, and has charge of all the cattle. He had been hurt at Elephant's Kloof, his shoulder and ankle being sprained while inoculating cattle ; but what the present attack is I do not know, unless there be some internal hurt in the left breast, near the root of the shoulder, where he has pain. Having given him chloric B 2 4 CHAPMAN\S TEA VELS. [chap. i. ether, and had his feet warmed with hot stones, he came to, and I applied a mustard poultice to the seat of pain. The man had evidently been in a swoon. This wailing and din of the Damaras round the sick man reminded me of a practice I had witnessed amongst the Zulus, who, having stunned a buck with their kerries, squatted round it, and beat their sticks one against the other, over the body of the insensible animal. It often revives, only to be knocked down again, I witnessed the same practice over a fowl, which I had accidentally stunned with a stone, and the bird revived. The Damaras, as well as the Beach Hottentots in South-western Africa, practise this rite over the dying with some mysterious reference, it may be supposed, to the departing spirit — not to bring it back to life again ; though in such a case of suspended animation as poor Dikkop's — like that of the Zulu buck and fowl — the din might serve the latter purpose. We are now drinking water that almost resembles porridge in its consistency, and it will not filter. Our people, too, are falling sick of fever, one after the other, five being on the sick-list, and two of them seriously ill. There is no more water here for the cattle, so we must make a move somewhere. Some messengers now arrived from the lake. The chief seems to be getting out of patience at our long delay, though he is himself to blame for it. He requested me to stay here, or we should have gone on before our people got ill, and the water became so scarce. He now sends to say how his heart is pained at not seeing us, and has commissioned a little Bushman, famous for his flattering eloquence, to pour out such a stream of sweet words that I could not hear him out, being nearly choked with laughter before he got very far in his speech. I gathered, however, its drift, to this effect : " I am afraid you are going off to some other tribes ; pray come here, and let me get what I can out of you firsts and CHAP. I.] A HONEYED MESSAGE. 5 then you may go to ." This sentiment lies at the bottom of all his honeyed words. He says : " Who has dared to stop you, my friend ? Why do you not come near me, that I may see you, and hold sweet converse, as in former times ? All my other white friends have left me ; you alone remain. I must cherish you. I say again. Who has dared to stop you ? Have you heard the lies of slaves, and believed them ? Do not believe I will turn my only friend off. The country belongs to you ; come ! Lung-sickness, or no lung-sickness, come !" We left the Kopjies on the 6th of December with one wagon, intending to go only as far as the moana (baobab) tree, 16 miles off, but when we got there next day there was no water, and so we were obliged to push on, and reached Masellenyani at niglit, where the wagon stuck in a sand-hill. Baines and I having gone forward, we were overtaken at 9 or 10 o'clock at night by a tremendous storm of thunder and lightning, but without much rain. We were obliged, how- ever, to roll ourselves up in dry bullock-hides to save a wetting, and then go back at midnight to join the wagon. If the rain had left any pools we should have made our camp here, a few miles from the water, but it did not, so on Sunday morning we went on to the lake. I have never seen the country about so dry as it is now. We were obliged to travel two miles along the coast before we got any water for ourselves and our thirsty cattle. The Bechuanas who accom- panied us stay with us, but they sent a messenger to inform the chief of our arrival. We hear that all the native cattle have been driven from their stations to clear the way for us. We made our beds in the tent, and at night a storm of rain fell and continued several hours, and drove us out, but not before we and our bedding had got thoroughly wet. The little lemur is now very playful and tame. As soon as the 6 CHAFMAS'S TltAVELS. [chap. i. candle is lit at niglit he leaps about after the moths and insects attracted by it. I often amuse myself by catching for him those beyond his reach, and he seems perfectly to enter into the spirit of the thing, and to be sensible of the kiiubiess shown him. AVe encamped near a thick spreading camel-thorn tree, called the Christmas tree, with dark shade underneath. Some pack-oxen were grazing near, and I sent to urge their drivers to remove them out of our way. A party of Bushmen and others arrived with six boats, to convey me to the town, along with any goods I may have to dispose of, my wagon and cattle to remain where they are. The chief sent word that he could not get away, the women having "tied him up" to make rain first. I sent to say, '•' I came here at his entreaty to meet him half way at this place, and would not separate myself from my wagons and party. My road lay by his door, and I would wait until he has made the rain." I have never seen the lake so dry before. The boatmen could not find a landing, owing to the mud, and had to land 10 miles off. Our cattle had great difficulty in getting a drink the first day. Fortunately the rain has since fallen, or we would have had to send back. The Damaras now got plenty of plums (morotonogoe) and motlope berries to eat. The south banks of the lake are thickly studded with the " wait-a-bit " (real) camel-thorn, another thorn with large ujjright pods, mochuerie, motseara, and motlope, plums, and other trees. The wait-a-bit is in full bloom, but the leaves are all riddled by the number of bees and insects piercing and devouring them, and making a constant buzzing. I found some peculiar beetles, with claws at the point of the feet, also a green fish-eating beetle. Pelicans are plentiful on the water ; the insects are making a constant noise, and are very troublesome at night. A kind of black and white stork is strutting about in great numbers, feeding on termites. CHAP. I.] AT LAKE NGAMl AGAIN. 7 14i^A December. — Still no signs of the Daniaras sent to Amraal's. As tliey have been away five weeks I am anxiously awaiting tlieir return, in liopes of their bringing tidings of my brother, upon whose assistance all my hopes now depend. The present state of suspense is intolerable. One misfortune has succeeded another to stay our advance, and now, when we at last see our way clear to the passing Lechulatebe's Town, lung-sickness again apjiears amongst our cattle. We have slaughtered and hidden three within the last four days, burning the carcases at night ; and there are four others showing symptoms of the disease. If I hear nothing to- morrow I will myself go to the town on foot. The rafts used on Lake Ngami are of two sorts. The one, a reed raft, is made by tying a large number of I'eeds together in a bundle, sufficient to support the party. The other kind, known as a rush-raft, is made by throwing bulrushes, which are very buoyant, promiscuously together in the water, and the lower ones, owing to their buoyancy, press upwards, and so on; the more that is added the more buoyant the raft. Any weight coming oir top presses it down flat, so that it never sinks deep, owing to the great pressure from beneath. I have crossed the lake tw^o or three times in native canoes at the broadest part. The natives prefer going right across, in the larger canoes, but when they see the wind coming up they keep in-shore for fear of filling. 16th Decemher. — This evening, just before sunset, a few clouds came from the north, and a heavy storm from the south. They met, and claslied over the wagon. The thunder and lightning were terrific. The first flash struck an island of green reeds about a mile from us, which in an in- stant was in a blaze, the flames leaping twenty and thirty feet high in the air. We thought at first it was some signal made by the natives, but there Avas no appearance of any people. The reeds continued to burn for an hour or more. 8 CHAPMAN'S TUAVELS. [chap. i. Monday, 16th. — John shot a vulture and a grey lory. I photographed the morotonogoe (plum). The Buslimen and other natives press an oil from the seeds of the fruit. All the people are fond of eating them. They swallow the whole, except the skin, whifh is the best way of eating them, if you have a good digestion. These trees have rigid sharj) spines, not perfect thorns, which, increasing, throw out others, and become branches themselves. There are several kinds. Tuesday, 17th. — Some messengei:s arrive to say that the chief, having now made an abundance of rain, will be at liberty to come, and will furnish us Avith guides to take us round, &c., but we are not to come to the town. I decline, however, to comply with these directions. Dupa (pastiles) is a great " medicine" wdth these people ; they believe it has awful powers. They learnt it from the Hot- tentots, who had it from the Malays ; these use it as an incense. The chief sent particular messages that I was not to sell pastiles to anyone else, as he wishes for all I have. He wants to cure a man who, they say, was bewitched by Dr. Holden's man with paralysis on one side, because he stole an axe, and they believe that with the aid of dupa they can do every- thing, gratify any desire, conquer any love, however stubborn, and triumph over any enemy, however sti'ong. These are the stories told them by unprincipled people, who thus obtain ivory under false pretences. Next morning, I missed a tusk of ivory, which was stolen in the night by our visitors. I threatened they should not go until they brought my tusk. The man I suspected, with all his followers, has, however, already taken his departure, so I keep his gun until the tusk is restored. I sent the chief some tea. At the lake, on the 19th of December, 1861 : Therm. 84^° Fahr. Water boils 206-fV°. Monday, 23rd. — The chief came A\ith a large retinue of CHAl'. I.] CIIIUSTMAS DAY. 200 or 300 men, armed with guns and spears, a very unusual proceeding ; their appearance was rather imposing. I decline trading until he pays his debts, wliich he did, but clieated dreadfully towards tlie end. 2^th Beeeiiiber. — The day was half spent before we were aware that it was Christmas. We were packing up botanical specimens for Sir William Hooker at the time, as I intend sending John with one wagon-load of ivory, &c., and letters, to Damara Land, while we go east, and wait. Having COUNCIL OP WAR AT LAKE NGAMT : MA7IALAK0H ADDRESSING THIO MULTITUDE. started two days later, he returned after a couple of hours in great haste, and hardly able to speak from excitement. He had met the Damaras returning from my brother with letters, and brought them on to ascertain whether the con- tents would alter my plans, and most fortunate it was that I did not go off in the morning, as I had intended. We cannot push on now that we hear my brother is on the road, although at present he is prevented by the Hottentots from coming on. As some of our people are ill of fever, we pro- 10 VHAFMAN'IS TRAVELS. [chap. i. pose going back to Koobie, and waiting there for my brother. He must come on, although the Hottentots say that until I come to answer for having brought them the lung-sickness he will not be allowed to pass. By this communication, I get letters from my friends at home, which make me much happier ; but the surprise is almost too much for me. The news was varied. Lamert had caught one of the thieves who stole our horses, and recovered, it is said, five of them ; but Gert, with the best horse, is still away, and one had died. My brother sent me three horses, but one had died on the road. Amongst other mournful intelligence was that of the death of Dr. Holden, for whom I entertained a great regard. He died of fever taken while administering medical aid to the many poor Damaras who followed him. Holden, I hear, had discovered that ammonia is a certain cure for horse-sickness, 28//^- Becetiiber. — All the wagons now start together to return to Koobie. We sleep at Masellenyani, by one trek. Insects and moths are plentiful at night. The next day we trek to Mamakhoowe, the moana tree, and thence to where I killed the lion, and sleep there. Kext day Me trekked three miles, and were stopped by rain. I sent messengers with letters for my brother, keeping John back till Ave hear that it will be safe for him to go down. On the 31st we struck out of the road at the Kopjies, and trekked north-west, in- tending to go a few days in that direction, and make a camp, and go farther north with one wagon, to hunt until my brother comes. 1st January, 1862. — We look for a road and water; not finding any, go back on the morrow to our old road towards Koobie. The sun has now great power, and it is very hot when one goes out, any shade being pleasant. However, since the rains have fallen, and the trees and grasses are CHAP. I.] NEW YEAirS VLEY. 11 green, m'g seldom liave the thermometer above 70°. I fancy that when walking amongst trees, thongh not in the shade, tlie sun's heat does not affect me so much as walking on an open j^lain. I found a great many varieties of convolvuli, but none were variegated ; also an insect laying two white eggs, attached to each other. Can these be male and female ? Next day we left New Year's vley, and made two treks. During the first we struck our old road, and during the second we were stopped by rain, just opposite the Bush- man's well. Sent the cattle on to Mahalaapye, to sleep in the kraal. There we breakfasted next morning, and then trekked to the Observation Tree at Koobie, Avhere we were met by a thunder-storm and rain. Everything was now green and rank, and water plentiful. Our first business now was to look for a place to camjj, out of the thick bush, so that leo])ards and lions may not plague us, and we may be able to see more than fifty yards round. Shot a steinbok. In the afternoon we trekked one mile north-west from Koobie, and unyoked at a pan on the edge of a plain, in an old river-course. We cleared away the bushes under a large mochuerie tree, and the forewheel of one wagon stuck in a Bushman's grave, or, rather, in the excavation made by a wolf in his endeavours to get at the corpse. My people are vexed at our encamping in the midst of a field of mice-holes, &c., as they fear snakes, and we had a great number of them stopped. Baines and I went A\ith one wagon in a north-west direc- tion to hunt and explore. Some Bushmen follo\\ed us. We travelled in two days about 17 miles, to an old river-bed, and, finding it a convenient place for the purpose, sent back the wagon to bring up our camp. At noon on the following day, hearing the sound of a whip, we concluded that the wagons were near at hand. Going out to meet them, I saw, to my infinite surprise and 12 CHAPMAN'S TRA VELS. [chap. i. joy, my brother, accompanied by Mr. Barry, and my friend, young Bell, of Cape Town. This was a pleasure which com- pensated for a long term of jDainful anxiety and suspense. My friends had experienced much ti'ouble and great annoy- ances in their journey, enough to have disheartened older men. My brother had brought up only the four end sections of the two boats, which was all he could manage in the two wagons, with the quantity of luggage and supplies with which they were loaded. The question now was, how were we to proceed? We have great interest in Damara Land — 250 oxen to get out of it as soon as we can. Fever is very bad at the lake, so that we propose making a camjD with three wagons, and going north-west with one, to try if there is a possibility of reach- ing the Omaramba Omatako, and thus securing a road by which we could be independent of the Gam Ngaka Hotten- tots, who seem disposed fur the future to give travellers great trouble. It seems likely that when old Amraal diys they will turn out a nation of robbers. I sent back the wagon at once to bring up the rest of my party, and on the third day they arrived. In the meantime we looked about for game ; but the signal guns fired for Baines, after the elephant-hunt, had evidently frightened those animals out of the country. We therefore moved farther westward, and made a camp on an open plain in the valley. Here we constructed a very formidable ambush at the water ; a trench fourteen feet long, by four deep, covered with poles overspread with grass and earth ; an opening was left to watch and shoot from, but during three nights of patient watching nothing came. Thursday, 16th. — We left the standing camp, and, travelling six and a half miles west by south, made another hole, where I lay by the water with my brother ; but nothing came. My brother tells me that Jonker Africaner claimed kindred c:iAP. I.] FESTILENQE AMONG THE DOGS. 13 with the Bushmen of Ovambo Land, who are a fine race, speaking the Hottentot hmguage. They fled many years ago from the south, in consequence of an epidemic disease which carried off gi'eat numbers of people. These Bushmen are perhaps the same known to the Lake people by the name of Makawkow, who live north-west of the Bataoana, a very independent race, and have slaves, but possess no cattle. Saturday, 18th. — We travelled fifteen miles north-west without guides, over a very dry country, finding water towards evening, and some fresh spoors. A party of Bushmen over- took us, who wished to conduct us south-west, asserting that there is no water in any other direction. While out examining the country we started an elephant, which must have come along the path we were pursuing, but the dogs ranging a few yards ahead, frightened him, and gave chase. We followed a short distance, but as it was growing dark, and we could not fetch up, we abandoned it. We all drank some milk before going to bed. My brother and myself were imme- diately seized with violent vomiting. I was very bad all night, and thought we had been poisoned. Baines and Barry also felt unwell, and two Damaras who drank of the milk were also very ill. This may have arisen from some peculiar plant eaten by the cows. I had again lost seven fine dogs in a week from inflamma- tion of the lungs, ending in convulsions and paralysis, and, two others being found ill, I administered tartar emetic, and they recovered. I have now lost upwards of forty dogs by this mysterious disease. Can it have any connection with the murrain in the cattle, both attacking the lungs or other inflamed parts ? I shot a pretty night-hawk, and found some pretty birds' nests made of cotton, with a sort of vestibule for the male bird to roost in, and some other nests made of spiders' webs. I also gathered a few of the cocoons of some insects (I think tlie mantis), which I learn from the Damaras 14 CHAPMAN'S THAVELFi. [chap. t. are very efficacious in the cure of sore throat, or a disease in the glands of the throat. It is found chiefly on the mogonono trees and haakdoorn. Monday, 20th. — We travelled four and a half miles north by east, and stayed in a grove of raotseara trees at the junction of two dums (Bushman for old river-beds, which the Damaras call omaramba, and the Bechuanas, molapo). Here two elephants had been seen by some Bushmen, who followed us with the view of persuading us to turn back to their districts, saying there was no Avater anywhere else. As some of these Bushmen are from the west, we have to keep a sharp look-out after the horses, for fear they may have come from our friend Gert. Others came from the lake side, who, like Koobie, were persistent in their asserted ignorance of the country to the north, and tried everything in their power to take us back towards the lake ; but I cannot help thinking they are acting under advices from Lechulatebe, he very likely fearing that I would endeavour to carry out my oft-rejDeated threat of opening a road through this desert to Lebebe's. Large flocks of black and white storks, whistling about in chase of a bulky kind of grasshopper, or cricket, and termites. These latter insects, and the activity of the birds, are sure signs of rain. The insects are very busy laying in a store of pro- vender before a shower, and these birds, as well as some varieties of hawks, are very plentiful in chase of them. When alarmed, or when attracted by any agreeable object in the distance, the whole flock fly from or to it with such a velo- city that, though the birds may be nearly out of sight, their wings sound with a startling effect upon the ears, like the discordant tones of untuned organs. I made every inquiry, and offered handsome bribes to the Bushmen to conduct us to a spring of any kind, bat without avail. My plan is to pretend no ])articular anxiety about the object I have in view, or if I ask them about a fountain, not to ask it in CHAP. I.] WHITE AND BLACK STORKS. 15 a pressing manner, but, if possible, draw it out in the course of conversation. As I find that several of the roots of the gourds growing in this country are edible, mostly resembling yams in taste and appearance, I made a collection of seeds. The flowers of these plants all resemble those of melons or cucumbers, being cruciform, while the leaves and plants themselves are like the passion-flower, excepting the yellow aculeated gourd. There are what we call the wild cucumbers — red and irreen — several kinds, with very small red gourds. There is one very sweet red fruit, rifled with narrow grooves. The roots of all these are eatable, and, like that of the morama (Sechuana) (which bears the tamani), is like a yam, and also eatable. Wednesday, 22nd. — We trekked about due north seven and a quarter miles, and reached a pan called Karroop.* Here is an old river-bed. We saw a troop of wildebeests, which made off, and the white and black storks ranged themselves into deep ranks for fully half a mile in close order, the two tribes keeping perfectly separate. I fired a ball into their midst, and as they flew up two were left on the ground. We also secured several other birds for stuffing. This river-bed, which flows into the lake, is called Thannis by the Bushmen. One branch flows into it from Koobie, somewhere to the north-east. It is said to come a long way from the north-west, and we think of following it in the hope that it may turn out to have some connection with the Omaramba Omatako. I find that the Ceylon rose, which I mentioned before as growing near Barmen, is, as I suspected, the other poison with which the Damaras tip their arrows in war. The smell of * A pan is a circular depression, on which generally a saline incrustation remains after the evaporation or absorption of the water. The ground in such places is generally impregnated with nitre, and forms "licks" for the game. 16 fffAPMAN'S TL'AVELS. [chap. i. the flower is also said to be very poisonous. The flower and tree are both finer than those I have seen growing in the colony. The leaf and flower are larger, and the tree is not so scabby. A white, stunted variety grows also near the lake, in limestone country, near springs. In the afternoon we travel eight or nine miles farther, passing by the junction of this dum with the one we left this morning. Here it opens out into a valley, probably three miles broad. We travelled up the northern side of it, where the bank is more abrupt than on the opposite side, and is generally a ridge of red sandstone or limestone. These valleys are generally overgrown \sith haakdoorn (M. horridicus) and bastard camehthorn, >vhile the intervening country, if not the usual honte-veld or eland-veld — open plains dotted with low bushes, chiefly viiorei\o2i {Grewia Jlava), and several kinds of rank grasses, bulbs, and creepers — consists of a succession of sandy bults or ridges, covered with mogonono, which is the elephant's principal food, and with a kind of acidulated berry, of which they are also very fond. These bults are intersected with broad elephant paths, lead- ing to the dums, in the bed of which a large path is generally to be found, connecting the successive pools, which, owing to the harder nature of the earth — a sandy, blackish loam — are generally found at shorter or longer intervals. We passed several of these pools, or vleys, with rain-water in them, and two in limestone, which seem to have been wells at one time or other. Tliursdaij, 2Srd. — On waking this morning we found the Bushmen had decamped during the night. This is very mysterious behaviour, as they had just promised to take us to a spring in this dum (N. 60 W.), where it is joined by another. We encamjied without w^ater, and during the next forenoon's trek we found none either ; and as the country was so very dry, and the deepest vley we had yet seen anywhere con- tained no water, we sent the cattle back to the last vley, eight CHAP. T.] THREATENED HOSTILITIES. 17 or nine miles off, and then sent several miles in advance in search of some for our kettle. Both parties return in the evenins:. Friday, 24ih. — We travelled about five miles N.NW. to some vleys. Here we proposed staying with the wagon until the driver we had sent for came. We shot and skinned some birds, among which was a long-tailed finch (king rooi bekkie). The four tail feathers are quite bare, excepting at the end ; the back and wings black ; breast and belly yellow creamy colour ; neck white. Scdurday, 25fh. — I sent four Damaras exploring NW.N. and W. for the spring. They return after an absence of six hours, having fallen in with elephants at a very large vley. They came without the dogs which they took with them, and, on being questioned about them, frankly confessed that when they saw the elephants, although one of them had a gun and ammunition, they ran away at once, leaving the dogs baying or fighting with an elephant. Next day I sent some of the men to dig a hole by the large vley, to which we trekked, about four and three quarters miles distant. Thinking we saw palm trees to the north-westward, I rode out to examine them, and came upon a Bushman's hut with several occupants. One of the Damaras who were with me walked up to them. The Bushmen, who did not observe him until he was close at hand, sprang up, and one of tliem was in the act of spearing him when they saw me coming up on horseback. He then relinquished his purpose, and the party, seven in number, moved off a few paces and abused us, pointing to my men, and saying (in Damara), " Nawa-kako" (" No good "). I made signs to them, and, giving my gun to the Damara, rode towards them unarmed. The Bushmen became almost frantic as I approached. One aimed a deadly shaft at me, while the others threatened with their spears; but seeing that I still approached, they moved off. I shouted and made signs in VOL. II. c 18 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. vain — they continued threatening to shoot me ; but as I again drew nearer, they made off. If I could have spoken the Hottentot language, they might perhaps have understood me, and I might have induced them to foUow. However, I rode on. As soon as they were out of sight I turned towards the wagon to send John to speak to them and try and convince them of our peaceable character. Before leaving I observed that one of my Damaras had taken a piece of meat from the hut, and tliis had probably given offence. I made him restore the meat, and on reaching the wagon ordered him two dozen lashes. A new feature in the woods in this country is an acacia very like the haakdoorn, but larger, straighter, and with a thicker stem. The clumps of large green sweet gums look very pretty in the plains, covered with rank sweet grass, an4 generally indicate the presence of vleys. To the west the country looks much firmer, the soil bluish sandy loam: low white-thorn bushes and others, which are generally signs of springs being somewhere near. Wednesday, 29th. — Last night, on going to the vley at sun- set, I saw two elephants, and wounded one of them, when the Damaras ran away with my gun, ammunition, blankets, &c., leaving me in the lurch, and not coming back until I went for them. Shortly after darlv a bull-elephant came down at the head of a small troop of cows and calves, while another brought up the rear. The first bull walked round the vley, smelling the ground, and followed our spoors right up to one of the skaarms, towering over us to a tremendous height. I took my gun and snapped it three times at tlie elephant's breast, not four paces distant, and tlien found the cap had been taken off by some one. While I seized another gun the bull Nvalked off to give the alarm, and I gave a large cow, or young bull, standing broadside, a shot : uttering a scream of pain he charged the skaarm with the rest, but, mistrusting CHAP. I.] ELEPHANT- KILLING. 19 the loose earth thrown out of the pit, the whole herd turned off and fled. Shortly after this two other bulls came ; I fired at the shoulder of one and broke it. The beast stumbled about, and I was just going to creep up and give him another shot, when, on second thoughts, as he managed to get a few paces from the water, I preferred leaving him standing till daylight, for the purpose of photographing him first, and killing him afterwards. Next came a bull, which I shot through the heart ; he shrieked, and, dashing into the forest, I heard him fall, and he died a short way off. Again one came, and then another. I fired as best I could, in the dark drizzling night, at the distance at which they stood, and with bullets three sizes less than the bore of my gun. They all rushed off screaming to the shot, and then, after a time, came two other bulls. They walked up to the wounded one, fondled and smelt at him, and presently one of them came down to the water, and stood towering close over me. I shot him in the heart ; he shrieked, and, throwing his trunk aloft, turned on his heels and fled, breaking down all before him. Another bull came, and him also I wounded. This was the eighth I shot since coming to the skaarm. Never have I seen anything like their tameness. The elephants here evidently do not know what a gun is, for some were standing close by when I fired at the others, and they still came down to drink. Next morning I found by the bullet-wound that the bull with the broken shoulder, at which I fired early in the evening, was the one that came back again to drink. As day broke we got out of the ambush, and, sending for my apparatus, enjoining the messenger not to bring any dogs, searched for this elephant, but to my great surj^rise he was gone. Soon afterwards came the Damaras, with all our dogs ranging about the country. Here, then, my prospect of photographing a live African elephant was nipped in its bud. The dogs were not to be caught again. We could only follow c 2 20 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. i. them to the trumpeting of the wounded elephant as they assailed him, and, coming up, we put an end to him. One other elephant was found close to the water ; but it was impossible to get our Damaras to hunt for any of the others, five in all, with such abundance of meat waiting for them. Subsequently, however, the tusks of three others were brought in by the Bushmen. The remainmg two they were robbed of by Lechulatebe's people. Next night my brother and I lay by the water, and heard only the howling of wolves. In the evening we walked to a skaarm which we had made seven miles off to the south. A tiger and a wolf came. We were horribly tormented with mosquitoes and ants all night, but did not get a shot at anything, there being so many vley waters all over the country. It seems quite a chance whether the game will come to that particular pool at which you lie. 1st February, 1862. — Still at Sleepy Hollow, as we named the scene of the adventure last narrated. Searched for the dead elephants, but, as in this country there are so few vultures, it is a difficult thing to find them ; had I not known where the two first elephants dropped we should, in all probability, never have found them, though they lay rotting close by. The vultures were three or four days in making their appearance, but one elephant (the lean one, of course) they did not touch at all. The adjutants were more numerous on the carcase than vultures ; they must have come from a very great distance. Hawks and brown kites are also numerous ; the latter only hovering over the carcase, snatching up a piece occasionally. It is a very bold bird. Proceeding (N. 60 W.) next day along the Omaramba, and passing several vleys, I shot a small blue heron, which measured, from tip to tip of wings, twenty-fom* inches ; from tip of beak to feet, fifteen inches ; beak black, green CHAP. I.] ANOTHER ELEPHANT STORY. 21 at base (by the jaws) ; general colour, slate blue ; breast and inside of thighs, cream yellow ; the feathers do^^^l the throat and under-side of neck edged with pale yellow ; eyes dark sherry colour. A bunch of white down on breast under the other feathers, and ditto on either side of rump; legs yellowish green, with olive on the front of legs. I also shot another yellow finch, with long tail, and a bustle at the base of it. I think, if not already named, it ought to be called the Crinoline finch. o7'd February. — I fancy we are getting nearer to the Teouge, or a branch of it ; because I observe here are the fish-eating beetles which I have seen nowhere else but on the lake and the rivers flowing into it. It appears to me that the Omaramba Omatako must be an overflow from the Teouge. I suppose this, because I hear that Green one year found it a running stream with abundance of fish in it, and the next year he had to dig a great depth for a small supply of water. Spoors of elephants continued abundant during our farther course along the valley, but no animals were seen until the afternoon of Wednesday (5th February), when the cry of "an elephant" reached m)'- ears. Ordering a horse to be saddled immediately, I ran off at once to stalk the beast, and give him the first shot, which I did, but witli a gun which had recently been shortened, so that the shot was not deadly. The dogs soon tackled him, when he charged furiously past me, trumpeting loudly. While I was striving to overtake him on foot, the horses w^ere brought. I mounted the best, and he dashed up bravely enough to the elephant, who, seeing me when I was still 150 yards off, charged past all the dogs at me. I turned my horse's head and spurred him, but as soon as he heard the elephant's trumpet close behind him he became perfectly paralysed, and refused to move. The elephant still came on ; I renewed my efforts in vain, and nearly despaired of my life ; but this was 22 CHAPMAN'S TBAVELS. [chap. i. only for a moment, for the next the danger was too imminent for me to be inactive. As the elephant was within a few yards of me I turned in the saddle, intending to place my last trust in my rifle, and raised it to his forehead ; whether the act frightened the elephant, or what else induced him, I do not know, but he turned away with uplifted head into the bush. I was glad to let him go ; and as I was on the plain, quite unsheltered, I did not attempt to fire, but, abandoning so useless and dangerous a horse, 1 took up the chase on foot, as hard as I could, for a mile or more. Finding myself unable to get a shot, I sent for my horse, with which I again approached, intending to abandon him when near enough to the elephant, but either he heard my horse's hoofs, or smelt us, and before I could get his head turned to fire he charged at me. The same fear again seized my horse, which seemed to become so weak in his legs that I could feel him tremble under me. He again refused to move, and, slipping from the saddle, I fled on foot down the wind for some concealment; but other objects now attracted his attention, and, the bush rather impeding his progress, I got safely away at every charge, having given him only one other shot. By this time the dogs, like myself, were quite exhausted ; he had taken us a chase of four miles. • I fol- lowed the spoor once more, and fired another shot, merely to encourage the dogs, but they were fairly done up. The elephant never attempted to molest the horse. I was too tired to watch by the water at night. Baines, therefore, watched at one skaarm, and Bell and my brother went to the other. A thunder-storm burst in the night, and rain fell in torrents. Their skaarms were six inches deep in water, and they spent a miserable night ; my brother suffered from an attack of rheumatism. Friday, 1th. — I hunted with the Damaras, and on returning found about thirty Bushmen at the wagon ; some of those whc ;ii|l, ' .•! f If CHAP. 1.] LIMIT OF NORTH-WESTERLY ADVANCE. 23 fled from us the other day were amongst the number. We heard of a fountain several days north, and a vley north-west by west, where elephants are plentiful. The Bushmen first said the fountain was only a day from hence, now they say it is very far. They evidently want to take us in the direction of their own abode, so that we may kill game for them. In accord- ance with a well-established Oriental custom, they had left their spears and sandals a long way off when they came to the wagons ; indeed, we have not seen their weapons yet. They are an independent and very bold sort of people, more so than any other I have yet seen. They speak a strange dialect — some knowing a little Damara, but none of them Sechuana. I shot here two cranes of a peculiar kind, a snow-white spoonbill of the ordinary size, and a beautiful little heron. Our advance in a north-westerly direction was continued, with considerable difficulty, for a couple of daj^s longer. Small parties of Bushmen continue to visit us. They seem frightened ; but we cannot understand them, nor they us, as they speak a different language to either the Ovambo Bush- men, or those of Ghanze, Koobie, or the lake. We observed here a kind of dwarf aloe, with a very pretty red flower on a tall branching stem. The leaf of the plant is green, with transverse bars of white spots placed close together. At the point where, on the 9th of February, we turned back from the course we had been pursuing for some weeks, we found water boil at 206^^^^° ; therm. 80°. The moretloa berries are here of two kinds, purple and yellow. Monday, 10th February. — We trekked back through Norton Shaw valley to Wheeler vleys — names which we had agreed to confer upon the localities in question, in compliment to the then acting secretary and librarian of the Royal Geogra- phical Society of London. At the last-named, the dogs killed an egoana, which our Damaras, for a wonder, refuse to eat. 24 VHAFMAN'S TEA VELS. [chap. i. They say it is only food for women, or old men who are past running. If they were to eat, or even handle it, they will not be able to run any more. Tuesday, 11th. — Last night, at about 10 o'clock, the Bush- men came in a state of excitement, and told Baines there were elephants down in the valley. He determined to have a look at them. Some dogs followed, attacked the elephants, and brought the troop charging furiously towards the ■wagon. Their angry trumj)eting was truly fearful. The troop halted only 80 or 100 yards from the wagon, and it was a great relief to hear them at length go away. Even as it was, I was obliged to get out of my bed (which I had kept all day, being unwell), and with my gun, undressed as I was, prepare for flight to the first bush or tree, should they really charge upon the wagon, as 1 feared they would. The din was astounding, men, women, and children, horses, cattle, sheep, and dogs, all giving utterance to their terror in a Babel confusion of tongues ; and, high above all, sounded the loud trumpets of the infuriated elephants, protecting their young from the attacks of our dogs, charging from their dusky ranks, and again returning to form their square. The din and turmoil may be compared to that of a great battle. Baines and my brother fell in to-day with a troop of cow- elephants, but they had no success with them. I rode out 18 miles in search of elephants, but found none. For the last three evenings there has been a very bright illumination in the west, but this evening far surpassed them. It seemed long after sunset, for it was quite dark, excepting in the western horizon, where the hemisphere seemed to be on fire ; indeed, I could hardly persuade myself that it ^\as not fire. The sky, just above the horizon, was of a fiery- yellow colour, and the clouds, tinged with orange, gold, and purple hues, were the most brilliant I had ever seen. I stood wondering what could be the cause of this strange phenome- CHAP. I.] BETURN TO SLEEPY HOLLOW. 25 non, when I observed that the sky, excepting a small strip in the west, was everywhere enveloped in very dense clouds, which, I suppose, brought on a premature darkness, and the brilliancy of the sunset, through the small opening in the clouds, contrasting Avith the prevailing gloom, showed to such great advantage. \2th February. — Eode about 18 miles in search of elephants, and saw none ; but wounded a cock ostrich and chased him : he doubled, ho-w ever, in the bushes. We all £rot separated, and returned after five or six hours to the ^vagon. Some of the Bushmen went back to look for the ostrich. Next day I walked out four or five miles, and shot some birds. About thii'ty Bushmen appeared, but we could not understand each other. I took them to the wagon, but we got on there no better. I sent the Bushmen with some Damaras to look for the ostrich, but the former ran away. We learnt from them, by signs, that elephants and water were plentiful southwards, and they are to take us in that direction to-morrow. Water boils 206^° ; therm. 75°. Pursuing our return course, we reached Adjutant vley, and, afterwards. Sleepy Hollow, where we found that the Bushmen had stolen all the flesh which our people had left there. The thermometer generally ranges from 90° to 96° on warm days, in the shade, a very moderate and endurable temperature. Before the cooling influence of rains, it was generally above 100°. I expect in March it will be hot again. I think October, November, and December are the hottest months here. It is now hottest at sunset. As the waters are drying up, we continue to move on towards the standing camp in Union Valley. The crop-berries flower as late as February and March, and, consequently, are still moist when all other berries are dried up. Having an acid taste, they are very agreeable to 26 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. i. a thirsty palate. I find that the long-tailed bird has no bunch of feathers on the rump, as I had at first supposed, but one or two only, broad, vertical, rudder-like feathers, and two spirally-twisted filaments beneath. At Deep vley, water boils 206^:^/ ; therm. 85''. 21st February. — We trek seven miles before breakfast to the Round vley, when we all went out to feed on moretloa berries. We passed one or two other fine vleys, but with a very scanty supply of water. This vley has had but very little this year. I reckon the watershed lies between this vley and the one where we last slept. We yesterday caught a snake in a tree which we brought up against, and had to cut down. This evening Baines found a cerastes, or horned snake. They are common everywhere, from the Cape to Ovambo Land, on the west side of the continent. In Ovambo Land particularly, my brother tells me, they are so numerous that after a fall of rain, which succeeded a severe and long-continued drought, the ground was covered with these venomous reptiles, so that they could hardly walk without treading on them. They lay coiled up in the paths, with their heads in the middle, and utter a hissing noise when approached or disturbed. These snakes are about fifteen inches long, of a dark cream colour, with square checkered spots, larger on the back and smaller on the side. They are viviparous, and feed on insects and small reptiles. The muzzle is blunt, the head thick, with a bony protuberance over each eye, which is, however, covered with skin. The fangs, which are very sharp, are exposed about a quarter of an inch, and their large eyes have a vertical narrow pupil, which adds to the fierceness of their appearance. Audersson, I apprehend, is mistaken in his estimate of the Ovambo cliaracter. He considers them a very loose people ; but my brother, who has had a longer experience among CHAP. I.] NOVEL MODE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 27 tliem, says that tliey are very chaste. Adultery is a capital offence, both the man and woman being put to death when convicted of this crime. Their mode of inflicting capital punishment is by putting a rope round the neck, which is tied to the heels, and then drawn tight until the neck breaks. Dr. Livingstone also is in error when he asserts, with regard to certain loathsome diseases, that they do not prevail among the people of pure negro race. He will alter his opinion after a very short experience among the Berg-Damaras, as well as the Cattle-Damaras, unless these are not con- sidered negroes. I believe, however, that these people were perfectly free from these diseases, as were also the Bechuanas and Zulus, until they were introduced by the Hottentots. In our trek to the Karroop, which formed our next stage, we saw some ostriches and gemsboks. Saturday, 2271(1 February. — Baines and I rode after some gemsboks and quaggas without success. I shot a dozen glossy black and white storks, and photographed them. We find these birds in large numbers, but the Avhite storks and adju- tants are gone, except a few. Ostriches seem plentiful in this neighbourhood. The black storks feed on the cricket or corn-eater — a thick kind of grasshopper, without wings, which are plentiful on tlie bushes and trunks of trees. We now made up our minds to follow up tlie Omaramba about 10 or 15 miles east, as it promised to offer us some game. Rhinoceroses visited the pan last night, and their spoors are to be seen to the eastward. The pan is, as usual, overgrown with a sharp, prickly grass, and the banks with vyn-doorn (white-thorn), intermixed with stunted aromatic herbs, with which the Damaras are in the habit of perfuming themselves. One in particular, which looks very much like mint, has a down on the seeds, which some birds are in the habit of making their nests of. Another is a trefoil with 28 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. i. pea-flower, which grows near the vleys, and has a stronger odour. This the Hottentot women esteem very much as a scent, and with them goes by the name of buchu, the smell of which it somewhat resembles- The white (Ceylon ?) rose also grows here, and also the other white and yellow stem flowers which we found at Koobie are here only now in blossom. The rains are so partial that vegetation, in some parts, is not now so much advanced as we found it elsewhere in November. The country to the west of the pan opens out into a broad valley or plain, bounded on either side witli a bult or ridge about fifty feet high. These ridges are overgrown with mogonono, seringa, motseara, and other large trees, but the plain between them is sprinkled with low bushes bearing moretloa berries, which just now are very abundant. We made a very good imitation of cider of some of these berries by pouring hot water on them, and allowing them to fer- ment for three or four days. The country is very level, being, according to my observations, at our farthest point west, only 150 feet above the level of the lake, and these valleys or undulations are so numerous, and their courses (excepting the larger ones) so capricious, that it is difficult to ascertain their direction. It seems, however, certain that this valley, in which we now are, tends to the lake, while those at our farthest point west went in an opposite direc- tion, and, according to the reports of Bushmen, inclined afterwards to the north. On reaching the pan, we again meet with the camel-thorn and motseara, which we had lost sight of in our way up — large sweet gums and bastard camel- thorns taking their places. The melons and gom-ds are much larger, and very plentiful, in this latitude, but ue find no cucumbers. Sundmj, '2drd February. — We moved on to the water, which Johnny reported to be visited by rhinoceroses. After CHAP. I.] METE ORG L 0010 A L OB SEE VA TIONS. 29 passing the pan, which is about two miles long, and proceed- ing for about an hour down the valley, it opened out into a broad and level plain, overgrown in the hollow with low white thorns, and the plain on the sides with rank grass waving like corn-fields. Here and there a picturesque group of wagt-een-beetjes indicate the presence of a vley. The bult, which on the northern side of the valley is more abrupt than the one on the south, is composed of limestone and a hard red sandstone. We kept down the southern side, and found some fine large vleys at about eight miles' distance from the Karroop, where a lesser valley from the south seemed to join the one we had passed. The soil at the head of the valley is a saline kind of compact bluish earth or clay. We observed here a haw'k, which, to us, is an entire stranger. I have never seen anything to equal its activity and velocity. It took a cunning advantage of the other birds by flying constantly alongside of the wagon, and as the crouching and terrified birds were just up by it the hawks pounced upon them with the speed of an arrow. In the afternoon, my brother and I rode out south-east eight miles along an elephant path, to examine the country for spoors of game. The path turned out of the valley (which is here very broad) through a very thick forest of motseara and underwood, such as are found on the banks of tlie lake. The following observations were made during this portion of our journey : — Thermometer Water boils at tlie Turnback 206 2%° 80? Wheeler Vlcy Sleepy Hollow Deep Vley . . Karroop Adjutant Vley » Head of the Omaramba 2063^"^ 75° 206^° 73° 206^V 85° 206^V 8:^° 206,-%° 76° 20fiii° 94° 206ii° 94° 206;%° 73° 30 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. i. The milk of our cows has of late a very nauseous taste, owing to their eating a peculiar creeping plant, with narrow leaves and small white flower. In some other parts of the country the cattle find a bulb tasting like garlic, their feeding on the leaves of which imparts to the milk a very disagreeable taste, I found a fine insect of the order Cantharidee. Its odour is so powerful, and at the same time so pleasant, that one of these insects put into a bottle of spirits of wine makes it a most delicdous scent. 21tli February. — We start for the standing camp (in Union Valley), Baines and myself on horseback. On the way thither we fell in with three fine male elephants, which we chased for some hours, but ultimately lost them, and, losing sight of one another, arrived at the camp by different routes. Tuesday, 5th Marcli. — We left the standing camp and moved towards New Year's vley, Baines and I riding ahead. We saw fresh elephant spoors, and also a giraffe, to which I gave chase, but, my horse knocking up, it escaped with only a bullet-wound. This was vexing, but my horse took fright at him. We afterwards fell in with some quaggas and a gemsbok ; I gave chase to the latter, and killed it at the third shot. Next day observing a beautiful bee-eater while walking ahead, I stopped the wagons and sent my brother to shoot it. It is a very pretty bird; another of a very brilliant violet colour I did not get. It looks like a flame of fire. I have only once seen it. On the 6th we made about ten miles, and lost sight of one wagon, which did not even arrive at night. Found only a little water for ourselves. My brother and I rode out in search of some for the cattle. We saw two elephant bulls. My gun missed fire three times, and, to my great mortifica- tion, we lost them. CHAP. I.] AT QUABANTINE VLEY. 31 1th March. — We trekked on to New Year's vley, which we struck without any other assistance than our observations and compasses, much to the surprise of our Damaras. We found water, but it was rather scarce, as the elephants had stirred into mud all the pools, which they ceased to frequent when the water was nearly exhausted. We met here some Bushmen with whom we can converse, as they speak Sechuana fluently. We learnt from them that large game of all sorts is plentiful at the other side of Quarantine vley. We propose, therefore, to keep the wagons and cattle here, for fear of driving them away, and hunt from thence while there is anything to be found. Next day we accordingly made a skaarm at Quarantine vley, and my brother and myself lay there. Two elephant bulls and two cows came to drink after the moon set, but they saw the skaarm, and were running off, when I gave one bull a shot. An hour afterwards a small troop of cows and calves came at a smart pace ; but, although it was very dark, they either observed where spars had been cut for the skaarm, or saw our heads, and were galloping off when I gave one a shot which sent her on trumpeting, and we thought, from her repeated groans, that she would die. Before morning, and long after sunrise, other troops of elephants made a frightful noise to the eastward, either in playfulness or rage, or lamentation, perhaps, over the dead cow ; but we were too fatigued with the night's watching to go after them. 32 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. ii. CHAPTER II. At the Kopjies again — Proceed to the Botletlie Eiver — Tree-snakes — Ostriches — the Quabie Hills — Mortality among the Dogs — Xative Fruits —Occupations of Natives — Native Conjurers — Move to the East- ward — Native Trees — Makato's Village — Native Turtle — Eagles — At- mospheric Phenomena — Contributions to Natural History — Elephants again — Salt-pans — Mirage — Gradual Desiccation of the Country. We now determined to shape our course eastwardly for the Botlethe river, passing along a route lying 20 or 30 miles to the south of the lake. In an early stage of this route I shot a white rhinoceros cow, very fat, and a fine elephant bull (my fiftieth) 11 ft. 8 in. in height. Adjutant- birds were found in thousands, though not so large as the Indian species is said to be ; some white storks and ibises also. I also shot a beautiful white-headed black vulture; neck and cheek bare, and skin pale violet ; breast and neck white down covered with loose black feathers ; legs dull rose colour, beak duller ; bill bluish grey at base ; eyes black ; expanse of wings, 6 ft. 5 in. ; bill to end of tail, 3 ft. 1 in, ; bill to end of toes, 3 ft. 2 in. Thick white down under the wings ; inner quill feathers under the wings, white, gradually getting darker towards the end. We shot four varieties of vultures. The largest is a dark brown or dull black, the thighs covered with thick white down, head and neck bare, purple skin, cheeks slate colour, pale greyish blue legs, and very powerful broad, thick, horny- coloured mandibles ; breast covered with thick whitish down. CHAP. II.] MESSAGE FROM LECHVLATEBE. 33 over whicli are long narrow brown feathers ; bristles under tliroat, and a few hairs over the eyes and head ; expanse of wings, 8ft.; beak to tail, 3 ft. lOin. ; beak to toe, 3ft. 10 in. One of the dark brown vultures (a male), wings, oft.; back of neck and crown of head covered with bro\vnish dov\Ti, underneath bare flesh-colour skin ; breast, white down un- derneath ; legs, white down with sprinkling of coarse black feathers ; long slender mandibles, grey flesh-colour at base. 15^A March. — Some of us w^ent in search of game. My brother ascended one of the Kopjie hills and saw the waters of Lake Ngami from their summit, and some buffaloes in the distance, and descended in search of them, but could not find them. In the evening a Bushman arrived from the lake with a message. The chief afiects to be angry, and says he is at war with us because I took a gun away from his servant, who stole a tusk of ivory, and also on account of our entering his country with lung-sick cattle. At the same time he sends word tliat he has sent out a commando to assist a tribe of Barolongs, on the Botletlie, against Chapo, chief of the Bakurutsie ; he therefore wants guns and powder, and I must bring him plenty. He says he has recovered all the things his people pilfered from me, and I must come and get them. As the elephants had all suddenly and mysteriously dis- appeared, we resolved to move forward, in order to economise distance, and keep away a little longer from the malaria of the Lake country : we determine, therefore, on making as straight a course as we can for Pelani's village on the Boltetlie river, travelling parallel with the south coast of the lake to the Quebe hills, which lie somewhere south of the town, about the same distance from it as these hills are from the lake. We can then, when opposite the town, halt a day or two for trade, and we shall, by this means, also keep clear of their cattle, althougli there cannot be the slightest VOL. II. B 34 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. ii. danger, as we have now not had a case of lung-sickness for many months. Accordingly, next day, we started for Sese, keeping clear of the hills and to the south of them, and steered east about six miles. After passing some old dry cattle pits of Taoani's time, we came to a fine large vley. In the afternoon we travelled without any path, and slept at another vley, opposite the Lubelo hills, about six and a half miles farther on in the same direction, where we found the remains of a buffalo recently killed by lions. On the morrow we held a little more south. After three miles we came to a vley, Sebubumpie, in a broad flat, or valley, coming from beyond Quarantine vley, and also a fine deep vley of water, called Little Molenyani. At this season of the year a kind of hybiscus begins to ripen its seeds. The plant has a grey-purple flower, and the leaves yield a strong musk-like odour. This plant is covered with short hairs, or thorns, which are often scattered by the wind, and driven into our wagons and blankets, causing us dreadful torture. They very much resemble those of the prickly pear. Besides this nuisance, there are here a great variety of pests, different kinds of thorns (dubbeltjis) and grapplers, burrs, and other bearded grass seeds, which, whenever you move from the wagon, attach themselves so firmly to your clothes that you are obliged to change them. These nuisances appear to prove the fertility of the soil. We killed two snakes to-day. One of the green tree- climbing snakes, five feet long, which the Bushmen inform me are very venomous, and that, when attacked, they spit their poisonous and blinding saliva into your eyes. A small • kind of adder, with a shield on its nose, I also discovered by the peculiar noise it made as it inflated itself in rage, while I was stepping over it. It is about nine inches long, rather thick, marked black under the throat, and a broad patch on back of head and neck, followed by several succeeding trans- CHAP. II.] THE PABADISE FINCH. 35 verse stripes, gradually diminisliing in size to about the middle of the body, and then continuing in spots. We came to a stand here, owing to the doubts of our Bushman guide whether our wagons could travel through the thick elephant jungle ahead. He had not been here since childhood, and wished us to see for ourselves first ; so we sent the Damaras forward for the purpose. We at last succeeded in shooting one of the paradise finches ; but it has evidently nearly changed its plumage, for the two long tail-feathers were gone ; on the back, above the short tail-feathers, it has two of those broad, rudder-like, vertical feathers, instead of one, as I supposed. These it can erect at will. It is something like those we shot at Sleepy Hollow, but the breast is of a very rich brown; the bill and feet black ; the throat black, and belly yellow ; neck ditto ; crown of head black ; length of body to end of true tail, six inches ; two long tail-feathers, thirteen inches, and two broad ones, four and a half inches, and, including the tails attached, seven and a quarter inches. The two latter are placed between the two long ones, which are also ver- tically placed, and strongly indented down the inside and raised on the outside, giving it a very massive appearance. The feathers are further barred transversely, like watered silk. It has also two thread-like filaments, like twisted silk, under the rudder-like feathers. 18^7i March. — We trekked about east, by a small footpath, until we entered a valley studded thickly with thorn trees, and kept along it for five miles, when we fell in with a larger patli, which the Bushmen inform me leads straight from Koobie, via Mahalaapye to Quebe. This we followed five miles farther, and, having outspanned opposite a small conical hill, sent the cattle in search of water to the north, where, the Bushmen said, vleys are plentiful ; and the grass being here green, and birds abundant, I have no doubt they will find water. D 2 36 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. ii. My brother fired at one of a pair of ostriches ; the cock was very tame, and every now and then turned to conceal himself by lying down in the grass. At the same instant I saw a black and white eagle fly from the ground, and a number of kites hovering over. I went to see what it had caught, and found it had killed a young ostrich, by inserting its beak alongside the breast and piercing the heart, leaving a very small wound visible. I shot a peculiar little butcher- bird of a cinereous colour ; rich brown on back ; from cheek, and round the eyes, and passing round the forehead, black ; upper tail-feathers black, tipped with white ; under tail- feathers white half way up from the roots, rest black ; breast, belly, and throat, dull white or yellow, with slight tinge of purple ; eyes black. Next morning we trekked at sunrise through thorny bushes, and consequently made slow progress. We had to chop down trees to clear the road, and sent some of the people forward to seek an exit from the bush. Passed a troop of fifteen or twenty camels, a pretty sight, in com- bination with four travelling wagons, horses, and people, on the plain. Got the female of the red-headed woodpecker. It is smaller, and marked with black on the crown ; there are three kinds. Also one of the white-headed chatterers. The cheeks being marked with black indicates the sex to be female ; the male has the head and neck quite white. Also a red shrike ; a few white speckles on the rump indicate the sex to be female. At night we heard that a span of oxen were missing. Two Damaras went off after them and did not return all night ; probably the cattle have run off with a herd of buffaloes. The bush is so dreadfully dense that we shall be brought to a stand till we find a road. Next day my brother and I rode ahead to the vley, keep- ing south of the Quebe hills ; the wagons arrived about noon. Harry and some Bushmen were sent to the lake to apprise CHAP. II.] SOUTH AFRICAN BIRDS. 37 the chief of our being in his neighbourhood, and another Bushman went back to fetch the tusks of a bull-elephant left at Sleepy Hollow, which they found, together with those of a cow I had wounded. This makes five elephants already found out of seven fired at at Sleepy Hollow. There are few birds that actually drink water, although there are many hawks and other birds of prey generally found at the pools and wells, which they visit for the purpose of preying on the smaller birds ; Namaqua partridges and turtle-doves are nearly the only regular visitors. The birds of this country are more numerous than we should at first imagine, and it is only by comparison that the difference of species is discovered, as many look so much alike. They have not here the beautiful birds of Natal and the Knysna, but a few have very brilliant plumage. The female of the crinoline, or widah finch, is of a grey colour. Again one of my best dogs has died, and another is sick ; I cannot make out what it can be that kills them. The Bushmen on seeinsr it at once exclaim : " You have been into the ' khow !' " On asking what that was, they inform me that it is a plant that grows in the parts that we come from, bears an edible red- coloured fruit, two inches long, and that this is poisonous to cattle if they eat it, and also to dogs if they come in contact with it, or jump over the bush. I asked a second Bushman, from another part, about this incredible story, and he confirms it. There may be something in it. We lost one ox from poison of some sort ; one horse was nearly dying, and several dogs are dead of inflamed lungs. They say the Bushmen can keep no dogs, and that when they have soaked a string in the juice of this fruit and tied it on the legs of the dogs, they may travel in the khow-fields, the sanrl-hills to the north- west of Koobie, with impunity. 22nd March. — To-day I got the female of the crinoline, or widah finch. In the action it is very like the male, flying 38 CHAPMAN'S TRA VEL8. [chap. ii. very high for so small a bird, and evidently with some difficulty ; in descending again, they seem to let them- selves fall head foremost, suddenly checking their descent at intervals. The hen is a dark brownish-grey, very much speckled all over, the middle of the feathers being dark brown or faded, and a black feather on the centre of each wing ; crown of the head black, parted in the middle by a pale stripe, which recurves from the back of the head on either side, and passes over the eyes to the base of the bill ; breast dull white, speckled, and having a few rufous feathers visible ; belly white ; tail brown. My brother brought some fruit from the Quebe hills very like a lime in appearance, of a pleasant acid taste, and thick rind like a lime ; large nut inside with three or four eyes ; heart- like leaf. Elephants are very fond of it, and so are all the native tribes, who make a strong intoxicating drink of it by fermenting it. The wood is very useful, as combining softness with closeness of grain and durability. The natives make wooden vessels, troughs, &c., out of it. The trunk of the tree is generally several feet thick, and straight for about twenty or thirty feet, when it branches out into a beautiful crown. I think the Bechuanas call it mopura, the Bushmen taa, and the Ovambo onganga. 2'^rd March. — Messengers arrived from the lake. It appears that the chief sent to look for us at Koobie and invite us to the town, but we were gone : hearing from my messenger that we were at Quebe, he sent hither at once, his messages overflowing with kindness. Of course all that we had previously heard about the war with Chapo is false. He says he cannot bear to see his friends staying so far in the bush : we must come ; the country belongs to us, and so on. He sends to beg coffee, sugar, tea, flour, &c. The quails here are of two different kinds, large and small, and different to those in the colony. The smaller kind CHAP. II.] QUAILS. 39 measures ten inches from tip to tip, and six inches from point of beak to point of tail ; bill and feet j)ale bluish-grey ; toes three ; eyes yellow, breast rich brown down the middle, bounded on either side with a row of whitish feathers slightly fringed with black, and painted with large black spots in their centre ; throat and belly yellowish-white ; side of neck, whitish, feathers fringed with black, and black spot in the middle ; the crown and back of head parted with a row of rich brown, black, and white feathers, in which the latter preponderates in the middle. On either side of this white stripe run three longitudinal rows of brown, white, and black feathers, in which the former preponderates ; whiskers covering the ears ; the feathers of the back reddish chestnut- brown, fringed with grey, and barred transversely with black marks ; the brown is again bounded Avith a longitudinal stripe of black on either side ; quill feathers grey, edged on outside with white ; greater coverts bright reddish-brown, barred with black, and edged with white near the base, but otherwise whitish feathers with large patches of black and rich reddish- brown ; shoulders grey, with a tinge of brown. This is the male. The female is known by the absence of brown on the breast, and is of a paler colour. I shot some river doves ; the back and first half of wings are dark ash-colour, tipped and sometimes barred with white ; the quill feathers reddish- brown, outer edges black ; greater wing-coverts dark grey tipped with white, and a spot of glossy green on the two inner ones ; rump grey, barred across with black ; tail dark grey tipped with black, and the underneath feathers edged with white on the outside ; belly pale ash-colour ; bill black ; eyes ditto ; feet dark dull purple. 2Uh March. — Walked over the hills, which here crop out of the plain. They are a kind of granite or greenstone, a dark, speckled, sonorous rock, the same which Dr. Livingstone calls basalt at Bamanwato. There are also quartz and sand- 40 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. ii. stone around tlie base. I sent back the messengers with instructions to tell the chief that I could not come to the lake, but intended striking the Botletlie some 15 miles below — intimating at the same time my determination not to trade until the property stolen from me had been restored, and assurances given for the security of my goods in future. Meanwhile we pursued our way in a north-east direction. At the Quebe hills water boils 206 -^° ; therm. 84°. On the 29th I rode ahead after sunrise, and reached the Botletlie river at 9 o'clock. The wagons came up at 3 in the afternoon, having struck the river a few miles farther to the westward at Lechulatebe's old place, and I did not find them until evening. In the meantime a Makoba chief had entertained me with three boiled fishes and some goat's milk, which were very welcome, though eaten without bread or salt. A Makoba messenger to another part passed me : he was very much excited, and was holding forth to the inhabitants of the village against the Baroa, some of whom had made free with his sheej) and goats, taking two of them. This they say they will not stand ; they will rather fly to Sekeletu than submit longer to this system of robbeiy. It has always been permitted the Baroas, when sent on an errand any- where, to empty all the fishing-nets and creels which they pass on their road, and the Makobas are everywhere sup- posed to supply, by way of a tax, food to people sent by the chief; but since the Makobas have commenced to collect sheep and goats, the Baroa think they are entitled to take them also ; but this will drive the Makobas out of their territory. The medlars, which grow here on the banks of the river, and of which we found abundance at the hills, are very similar to our own, though not so sweet. We did not know the proper way to eat them until the Bushmen advised us to stew them. This we did, stirring them into a porridge, and, CHAP, II.] AFRICAN AGRICULTURE. 41 with the addition of a little sugar and some cream, they made an excellent desert. The mosentsila is another ex- cellent fruit, as also the wild loquat (motsuri). The mokuchon is one of the finest trees in the land, and the fruit, also a medlar, when dried becomes, excepting the seeds, one crystal- line mass of sugar. I found a miniature kind of purple fig growing on a bush ; it is sweet, but the natives do not eat it. 31st March. — The chief visits us, pretends to be very penitent for his past offences, and persuades us to go to his town with our wagon. I promised to go there to-morrow, only because I want to photograph him. We learn from Lechulatebe that, according to the latest news from the Makololo, Sekeletu is so ill of a disease, which they say is common on the Shesheke, and which eats away the toes and fingers — probably leprosy — that he is obliged to be carried about on a litter. 1st April. — We left the camp at 11 o'clock, and travelled with much greater comfort on the open grassy banks of the Botletlie river than we had done for a long time in the bush. The distance to the town proved 13^ miles, per trochameter : during the half of this distance we travelled alongside of corn-fields and gardens, and it was a pleasing sight to see the busy groups of people plucking, or carrying on their heads, loads of the Holcus sorghum, and chewing, or, as they say, drinking, the sweet reeds (Holcus sacharatus), their occupation all day. Look when you will, you see men, women, and children, tearing away with their teeth at a long cane, which they hold in their right hand, while the left arm clasps a bundle of the same against the side. Water-melons, pumpkins, calabashes, beans, maize, and sorghum, are abun- dant this year, and the gardens are everywhere surrounded by huts, where the servants sleep to keep away the game during the night, the birds by day, and wherein to occupy themselves in basket-making, &c. We were stopped by one 42 CHAPMAN'S TRA VELS. [chap. ii. party of women on the road, who forced water-melous, beans, maize, and corn upon us, for a trifle of beads. Tliey have abundance to spare this year, and the chief has given them permission to sell us food, without which permission they dare not, or we might have been already supplied by the Makobas. It was an interesting study to observe the number of women striving to beat one another down, and struggling with might and main, with baskets high over the heads, and vying with each other for precedence, bestowing the most honeyed com- pliments and flattering wiles upon the purchaser, accompanied by such epithets as sweetheart (neatsi), &c. The industry of the people here is a pleasing contrast to what one sees among the Hottentots in Damara Land. The chief yesterday changed our "guard," leaving only one spy in place of the three we had before, but his vigilance makes up for the former number. Besides subjecting us to this nuisance, under the plea of guides, assistants, &c., he is unmannerly enough to take away our servants on the sly to pump them ; there is nothing that one can say or do but he must know of it. In trading he is excessively mean, and takes every little advantage. I hear his intention is to be very good for the future. He says he will take my advice, which is good, and he has severely punished the Makoba who stole the adze. He has sent us water-melons, canes, and porridge, which indeed is saying a great deal for him. I observe that the people here are altering their old plan of planting in the sand on the banks, and are now planting in ground which will be under water in August. Those who have done so have an abundant crop, others will get little or nothing. The great corn-fields, however, are on the north side of the river, and along the south bank of the lake, where for many miles there is one continuous garden. I never knew until now that Bechuanas adopt any per- manent external mode of exhibiting their grief by mourning, CHAP. II.] TRADE WITH NATIVES AT THE LAKE. 43 but Mahutii, the chiefs uncle, has died since I was here last, and one of his young wives, his brother's daughter, who used to be always very gaily decorated with beads and ornaments of the liveliest colours, I found in such a wretched condition that she looked like a poor Bushwoman, though always con- sidered one of the belles here. Slie had not an ornament of any kind on her, and seems to have greatly neglected herself. I inquired the cause of the change, and was told her husband had died, and she had buried all her ornaments with him, and put on mourning. I told the chief I was rather in a hurry, and wished to buy corn : should be happy to supply him with anything I could spare. He said the women would overwhelm us next day, and after we had done with their affairs he would be prepared to transact business of more importance ; signifying that corn, beans, melons, &c., are things that women deal in, but men and soldiers like to talk about fire-arms, horses, &c. Next day, at an early hour, we were indeed overwhelmed with the noise of squabbling men and women pushing each other, crowding and holding their dish of corn or maize over- head in one hand, each striving to the utmost for priority. The trader becomes bewildered. Sometimes he gets his corn very cheap, but more often horribly cheated. Alternately pinched and pulled about, abused and flattered, he is at length in such an endless perj)lexity that he would fain fly. At length the appearance of the chief and his retinue in the distance is the signal for the crowd to disperse, and he finds relief. The natives say that they have killed a Namani-tona- Tlou this year, which literally means a great bull-elephant calf, but in this present case signifies a glorious harvest. The sugar-leaves {H. sacliaratus) are plentiful, and pleasant " drinking " (chewing), but this year are rather diseased by an insect or grub which penetrates the canes, discolours it 44 CHAPMAN' ti TEA VELS. [chap. ii. red, and rots the inside. Pumpkins and water-melons, beans and maize, are also plentiful. Of all the seeds I gave them I can only find that they have succeeded with the large sweet pumpkin and some beans. Our various gourds (pump- kins, &c.) soon deteriorate when grown near those of the natives, and so does their best corn, the Holcus sorghum, when grown near the sugar-canes. This, I believe, is owing to the inoculation of bees and other insects carrying the pollen about from flower to flower. We met here a personage I had often wished to see, a native conjurer. Report had long made us familiar with the marvellous performances of this man, but we were glad of an opportunity of having ocular demonstration. This person was a remarkably fine specimen of a Bayeye (Makoba, or boatman), and by the careful manner in which his toilet was made and his body anointed, he evidently had some pre- tensions among his countrymen to being a dandy. He had no ears ; but, with a smiling and pleasant expression of coun- tenance, he possessed all the robust proportions, activity, and muscular development of his tribe. As he could not perform any of his prodigies during the daylight, we invited him for the evening, when he punctually appeared. He was evi- dently under some apprehensions that his secrets were known and could be exposed by the white man ; but we gave him a fair chance, though scrutinizing his actions during his per- formance very severely, and we must do him the justice to say that his tricks, which were all sleight-of-hand, were, for an ignorant savage, remarkably clever, an;! equal to what I have seen performed by celebrated wizards. One of his tricks was burning a bunch of beads tied in a bundle of grass in the midst of our little circle, and making them appear again un- injured ; also pounding certain things to pieces and restoring them to their shapes. All his tricks are performed after invoking Morimo (God) by holding his hands up in a suppli- CHAP. II.] A NATIVE CONJVEER. 45 eating attitude. He attributes everything to his influence with God, and is quite stubborn on that point. His ears, he told us, also were with God, but we shortly after learnt a very different story, which was that the chief had taken them off, in order to try and cure him of an unconquerable love of displaying his ingenuity upon sundry little properties of the chief, which, by his sleight-of-hand, were conveyed from the chief's residence to his own. The Makobas are great and expert thieves, and it is no doubt owing to a knowledge of sleight-of-hand that their expertness is to be attributed. Our friend the wizard was next day caught with some beads secreted about his dress. He was not seen taking them or concealing them, but the beads mysteriously disappeared while he was standing near, so we instituted a compulsory examination of his person, and found them. After these performances for our amusement and his profit, our friend invited us to the town to see some of his witch- doctoring. They give him credit here for being a very clever surgeon, cutting into the belly, drawing out the intestines, removing the disease, and replacing all again immediately as if nothing had been done to it ; and many other remarkable things of a like kind. On this occasion I was not able to go to the meeting, but the rest of our party went, and it appears that our friend, after scarifying the seat of the disease of the sick man, sucked at the wound, and then, being supposed to have inhaled the disease, he went off into convulsions, from which it required all the energies of the bystanders to relieve him ; after this he extracted from his mouth, on the point of a knife, a lump of some substance which was supposed to be the disease. A great many people are generally present on these occasions, squatting around in a circle, singing- some wild song, and keeping time by clapping their hands at short intervals, to cheer the wonders performed by the operator. Some animal must also be slaughtered, an ox or 46 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. ii. a sheep, according to the means of the sick man, and feasting and rejoicing terminates the evening. I think the per- formance of this man, on the whole, to be very clever, con- sidering that he is so unencumbered with dress or other conveniences for concealment. Sundaij, 13th April, 1862. — Some messengers arrive from the town. The chief is very sorry that I am taking my goods away with me. He says I ought to leave all my ammunition, at least, with him until my return, when he will buy it. He also wishes to buy a horse, and sends a tusk for beads, which I civilly declined. From all that I hear, I expect to find the country eastward, which I had the honour of oj)ening up a few years ago, very much changed in every respect. The fountains and wells are said to be dried up, and most of my old friends, the Makalaka chief Kaesa and others, have been murdered, either by the Bamauwato or by Moselikatze's people. This is owing chiefly to the war between Machin and Sekomi, the former of whom is said to have obtained the aid of the Trans- Vaal Boers. The Makololo are at present quiet : the death of their chief Sekeletu, from leprosy, is just reported. The natives here call me Pelu-telele, or long heart — an expression which they frequently make use of when they see me busy with my photography. In so far as I can under- stand, it seems to mean indefatigable, persevering, searching, which is certainly flattering. The Batawana in making their karosses or mantles cut them so that the mantle afterwards shall have the appearance of the skin of an animal, the heads and tails, &c., being placed in their respective positions. 16th April. — My brother shot here a young bull-elephant, a very small one, the tusks 6 lbs. or 7 lbs. weight. He wounded two coM'S. I photographed the dead elephant, which for- tunately fell in a good position to show the formation of the CHAP. II.] VEGETATION OF THE BOTLETLIE VALLEY. 47 limbs and size of the ears, so different from the Asiatic species. Next day we trekked as far as Mosetla trees (four and a half miles) and again nearly four miles, when we stuck. The road, where it turns away from the river at Khosi, is so overgrown that we can hardly find it. We have therefore to cut our way through the bush, and it took us a whole day to accomplish half a mile, breaking the wagons, and outspanning, in the greatest possible confusion, long after dark. Baines was taken very ill of fever, and Anthony has also been seized with the same complaint. I shot a beautiful eagle (peteke), which preys on steinboks and other small antelopes, guinea-fowls, pheasants, hares, &c. The mosetla, which abounds on the banks of the river Botletlie, is a most magnificent tree, ranking in size next the anna-boom of Damara Land, which it somewhat resembles. It is the finest of the acacias — the seed-pods and leaves are larger. The elephant, apparently, is very fond of the younger branches, which, as far as they can be reached by an elephant, about twenty-five feet, are everywhere twisted off. The mokuchoil trees just now are in full bearing, but the fruit is green, and will be ripe at the close of the winter ; it is an evergreen. The female alone bears fruit, but only when it grows near the male. Many of the old motchuerie trees just here are completely choked to death with the profusion of vines and creepers and parasites, weighing their lofty crowns to the earth ; some of them, since I was last here, are no more, but their white ashes measure their length and form on the ground where they fell, and were burned by the annual fires. The motsouri, or loquat, is as dark and umbrageous as ever, and the moana as bare as it was in winter. The melo and other medlars have yielded their fruit and retire into insignificant nakedness, while the moka, musha (bastard camel-thorn), niozotlo (mokala), the mosentsila, the mopora, moporotla, 48 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. ii. and mopura, and a variety of other trees, afford a grateful shade to the traveller. The mokhotzi, with its long, sharp, round, grooved leaves, impedes his way as usual. Other magnificent trees, of many kinds and great age, adorn the banks of the river ; their dark shades being here and there relieved by a tall conical hill or nest of the white ant (termites), fifteen or twenty feet high. These hills are sometimes capped with dense creeping plants, forming an umbrella-like shade upon it; at other times these nests are run up around the stem of some giant tree to a great height, being at once a temporary support and a certain destruction within. The treacherous pitfalls lurk concealed between the trees. The Botletlie is marked by the same appearance on the opposite side, running sometimes between white cliffs, at other times between sloping banks ; with its reedy margin, its lotus leaves and flowers, on which run many stilt-legs ; its ravenous crocodiles; croaking, screeching, and clamorous flocks of birds : here " the white-winged plover wings his sounding flight," and the cormorant sits on some log with exemplary patience, drying his outspread wings in the wind. The fish-eagle, on the loftiest tree, eyes askant the finny tribes, and darting down with a sounding swoop, rises again triumphant in the air bearing his prey in his talons, and with a loud voice sings, " Ow-ow-owlie," while the white limestone cliffs echo from beneath, " owlie." 21st Aiwil. — Baines is still very bad, and we are only getting into a more hopeless predicament, as more and more of the people are getting ill. We have to-day travelled about four miles farther, to a more suitable place for sick men. Here we will remain imtil we see a decided change for the better. Some one, I forget who, lias said that the only thing a Bechuana could make square was a game pit. Now, the game pits here are exclusively the work of Makobas and >,!'i'''Jii2 CI/AFMAN'S rnAVJ'JLS. [ciiA]'. II. delicate fish for breakfast. The barbel is not so nice, as it feeds in the mud. The carp is very goo;l, and so is a' small variety of pike. In the afternoon trek seven miles, the road being pretty good all day. The country opposite is called Kliaile. The grass has sprung up NA^onderfully quick since the last rain, and is quite green. All this year s seeds seem to have germinated. Tlie trees are budding forth again, but before they can yield flower or fruit the frost will, no doubt, kill them. The Makoba women are dressing the ground preparatory to the coming flood, which will inundate the gardens, and after it has receded they will plant their seeds. Some Makobas came to me from Makato's. I got from them a turtle, or water-tortoise. The shell of the belly is divided into two parts : the front part is movable (on a strong cartilaginous substance) at the will of the reptile ; he can shut himself up and open his door as he pleases. The muscles which regulate this machinery must be very strong, as a power- ful man could not force it open with an axe previously in- serted. A finger inadvertently thrust in would probably be crushed to pieces. This turtle differs from those generally found in pools, and the one we got to-day is only ten inches long, four thick, and five and a half broad, but they are said to attain sometimes double that size. On the 4th Baines and I crossed the river, and had a long walk to Pelani's, at the east end of a large island two or three miles long. We did not meet with buffaloes, although their spoor was plentiful. We saw a troop of koodoos, and fired at and wounded some on an island. We also saw several leche, of which I shot one. At Pelani's old village (Kala Mahite) we found the wagons encamped. We saw here some palm trees (doom palm) ; the leaves on the larger trees are recurved backward ; when young they are perfectly straight. The fruit hangs in CHAP. II.] SNAKES AND FUFFADDERS. 53 large grape-like clusters, the size of an orange. This morn- ing we killed a large snake, nine or ten feet long, and very active. When first alarmed by our dogs it stood erect to the height of five feet, and, making several successive bounds, ascended a tree. It was as thick as a strong man's wrist, and evidently a tree-climber. We have killed a great many snakes this last few months — cobras, puff-adders, green tree- climbers, &c. To-day the Bushmen offered us the skin of a python seventeen feet long. 5^/i May. — As we were strongly recommended to get out of the neighbourhood of the pitfalls, we proceeded a few miles to Dorokarra. Here we learnt that four of my brother's oxen had fallen into game pits. Saw many fresh spoors of buifaloes, and killed a large puff-adder, and was astonished at its activity when excited. Slothful as this reptile looks, 1 only discovered to-day how active it really is, snapping side- ways, and fairly jumping several feet. I observed a kind of short reed-like grass growing on the margin of the river. It is covered Avith small downy prickles, like those on the prickly pear, and imparts a very irritating sensation when it attaches itself to the body. There is a large kind of owl in this country, of very beautiful plumage : raw sienna and grey, with white spots edged with dark grey, and dark grey spots ; black eyes. It is a kind of barn-owl. We found six young ones, measuring 2 ft. 8 in. across the wings. In the afternoon travelled eight and a half ' miles to Tala's village. Saw two very large crocodiles. Shot a beautiful crane (demozelle), and two others — slate-blue, white heads, and long black wing-plumes sweeping the ground, while the tail is very short ; it has wart-like excrescences on the cheeks : also a fish-eagle, a hawk, an owl, &c. Saw three large snakes, ten to twelve feet long, and procured some fish. Qith Maij. — We travelled about three miles, and struck the river at Khamma's ford. There I ^\ aited for the wagons, and 54 (JHAPMAN'IS TBAVELS. [chap.h. having found Bushmen, and obtained all the information necessary as to crossing the river, we accomplished it success- fully. The bottom is a hard, flinty sandstone, worn into a very worm-eaten appearance by the action of the water ; it is full of cavities, detached pieces having a loud metallic sound. We travelled about three miles farther down the river and slept near it. Next day we journeyed about five miles, and, seeing plenty of buffalo spoor, we made a camp in order to try and get a buffalo hide to make riems. We saw three kinds of eagle, among which was the golden eagle. We secured a female of the peteke. The brown feathers of her back and tail are not so rich as in the male, being a pale, dull, and dusty brown. I noticed here two varieties of vulture which I have not yet procm-ed — a jet black one and a large brown one. Guinea-fowls are very plentiful. Walking ahead, we killed a brace witli a stick from the trees where the doss had cliased them. We might have killed many, but we could find only one little piece of stick. After they liave flown once they are winded, and can be easily secured with the aid of doges. Since we have had the last rains everything is green and fresh, and all the plants that had already flowered and faded are again in blossom. How this circumstance will afiect tlie climate or the verdure I cannot say. One would suppose, however, that an atmosphere already surcharged with a superabundance of noxious vapours of decomposing vegetation will be rendered still more unbearable, and that the fever may be expected to be very bad after the next dry- ing up of the river. I do not remember having ever noticed this plienomenon before. The usual rains came eai'ly and ceased early ; the country became very dry, but just at the setting in of the winter a heavy farewell shower cooled the atmosphere, made the grass spring, the trees to bud and blossom, and very probably dispelled the fever, for since the rain we hav^e had no more of it. CHAP. II.] NEW SPECIES OF OTTEB. 55 I found to-day a very peculiar, small, rodent animal, whicli Baines sketclied. It lias a pink skin, and rich, dark brownish- grey fur, with a large white spot on crown of head, very formidable teeth for eating roots, and in its actions resembles a guinea-pig or hedgehog. It is about three and a half inches long, with very blunt face, and the large teeth occupying nearly the whole front. A pretty yellow mouse is very plentiful. Many of the young ones are found drowned after a shower. We found in a bird's nest a family of small animals some- thing between the squirrel and the lemur, probably tlie dor- mouse. It sits erect like a monkey or a lemur, has large ears, a long, ruffled, bushy tail, and is covered with a soft and delicate fur. They soon become tame, and eat from the hand. Otters of two kinds are very plentiful in this river ; the colour of the larger is ashy-grey, with white. The fur of the smaller, however, is the prettiest, being of a rich, dark velvety brown, approaching black, with a few snow-white spots under the throat and breast. When fishing they may easily be mistaken for large snakes. I have often observed and admired their activity on those occasions. The natives of the lake had always a very strong prejudice against the skin of this animal, and would not handle it. I have at length succeeded in persuading some of them to make karosses of them, and very pretty they are. Mr. Layard does not know this otter, and believes it to be new to science. I rode out in search of buffaloes, and, soon falling in with a troop of about 200, I fired six shots, at the distance of sixty yards, without hitting them. This was with a small fowling- piece, my own gun being a long way behind. I got my gun at length, and in three shots wounded two buffaloes ; but, being greedy, and desirous of shooting more, went on and got nothing. After a little rest I returned to spoor the nearest of the wounded ones, which we did till sunset, without 56 CHAPMAN'S TBAVELS. [chap. ii. success. A large buffalo-calf had fallen to the share of the dogs early in the day, and this was all we got, though I had wounded another in the evening, and Ave had seen 200 or more buffaloes, some of which came past the wagons pursued by the dogs, giving the people there also a chance of firing. 10th May. — We left Dzouga at daylight, and, passing Magalie's, outspanned. The Botletlie here turns to the south. The north bank has an abrupt white cliffy ascent, forty feet high, with large camel-thorns on it. The opposite bank is a low and open plain a quarter of a mile broad, bounded by a forest. Troops of leche (luchees), varying from 50 to 100, their warm colours heightened by the sinking sun, contrasted with the green carpet as they grazed peacefully on within 300 yards of me. After dusk I heard a troop of buffaloes butting each other, but refrained from molesting them for fear of driving away any elephants that might be in the neighbourhood. The buffaloes and rhinoceroses quarrelled all night. Whenever the rhinoceros heard the buffalo, he puffed and snorted and dashed at everything. At midnight elephants came, but from a different quarter to where they generally come from. I let them go to the water. Three or four large bulls passed on fearlessly, but the females stopped on my spoor, now eight hours old, and smelt and examined it. At length, seeing that the males were all right, they also ventured down, and then they drank and gamboled and bathed themselves for fully half an hour, during which time I sat patiently waiting for them, having stalked to within fifteen paces of where they had come down. At length the males left the water, and pro- ceeded straight to where the females had examined the spoor, and the largest one followed it up step by step, smelling it out with his trunk. As my situation was rather exposed, he saw me, and threw his ears and trunk aloft : I fired, when he turned and fled, and the rest with him. Amongst them CHAP. II.] THE BOTLETLIE VALLEY. 57 I also fired a shot ; a groan responded, and they dashed away, breaking down the trees before them. A troop of 200 buffaloes, besides smaller parties, had been drinking, but I Avould not fire at them, believing the elephants were near, and I was right. It was a striking spectacle that ensued — buffalo following buffalo in a long unbroken line ; when they come to the steep bank they run down full trot and dash into the water, where they stand side by side, up to their flanks, to drink. The long file of elephants, as they approached, reminded me of a grand Indian military procession. Day- light at length drawing near, all hopes of more elephants vanished. I killed a solitary buffalo-bull that had ventured within thirty yards of where I sat. This I did with two shots. I had wounded a fine male leche, and was following him, when the Makoba who carried my spare gun walked just inside the belt of bushes up the bank, in order to keep out of sight of our game. Two buffaloes that were lying within a few yards of where we passed charged the Makoba with such perseverance that, had he not thrown my gun, and him- self also, into a thick bush, he would very likely have been impaled on the horns of one or other of them. One of the elephants which I had wounded I had hit with a poisoned bullet, and I followed five or six miles on the spoor without success. Lions were roaming about all night round the skaarm, but they did not venture down. A plant, called by the natives tantanyani, very like if not the same as that called in the colony kat-doorn, is a fine- leaved, thorny bush, bearing bright red berries. It is some- thing like asparagus (?) The roots of this bush are heated in the hot ashes for a few seconds, and then twisted over a pot containing the dried paste of poisoned grubs, and the juice squeezed out for the purpose of softening or diluting the paste. 58 CHAPMAN'S TBAVELS. [chap. ii. l^th May. — Some Baroas arrived from the east by the patli we have to go. They told us that there was no water in the desert. They have been everywhere in our way, and have probably been sent for that purpose, as they have no business there at other times. After leaving tlie river all the pits and fountains eastward belong to Sekomi. On the ridge, about fifty feet above the river, water boils 207 -^° ; therm. 70°. Nest day, having learned that the springs east have dried up, and that a vley of rain-water a long way north-east has still a little water, we started for it, as if we can get one drink there it will serve us until we can strike my old Sebetoane route, somewhere about Zoutharra. The Baroas, althougli they swear there is no water, have still the flesh of a newly-killed rhinoceros, so that there must be water somewhere. We travelled two miles to opposite the muru-mahutu, tree of legs, a motchuerie, which had been standing on ten very thick roots several feet out of the ground, the earth having no doubt been washed away beneath. We outspanned about two miles farther down to water the cattle, and, leaving the river, travelled in an old river-bed about north-east again four miles through dense elephant bush, lions' spoor being plentiful. Again outspanned late, and feared an attack from lions, but the noise and confusion of our camping no doubt kept them away ; and, fortunately, the moon appearing an hour or two after insured us a little rest. We travelled from the river through dense forests of mogonono and other bushes and trees for about five miles, and in what appears to be an old river-course, now nearly filled up with sand. At about 12 or 13 miles from the river, north-east, we came to a pit called Grhanna, which seems capable of yielding abundance of water if it were enlarged, A mile farther on we came to a vley full of camel spoors, and another mile brought us to a white limestone vley. At five CHAiMi.j DAMARA SURGERY. 59 miles from the river the country opens out into an extensive phiin, sometimes covered with low bushes and white ant-hills, in other places with grass only. This is the commencement of a tract called Lulupepe, and contains, to the southward and eastward, many small springs in limestone beds, and abounds in large herds of small game, such as springboks, quaggas, gnus, pallahs, &c. It seems strange to find oneself on a plain, with an horizon distant some miles, and is rather a contrast to being cooped up, as we had been, between high trees and underwood, where one can scarce see above a few hundred yards from the camp. We lost the road, and kept a little to the north-east, and, by a lucky accident, found a large vley with a little muddy water, barely sufficient for the cattle for once. We had also outspanned at another vley, where we also procured a little water for the trek-oxen. The country here is open, with grass and dwarf palms and young camel-thorns. 18^/i Maij. — I rode ahead to try and find the road, while the wagons steered another course. I saw a troop of giraffes, and shot a steinbok, which my Damara skinned with a sharp stone. An edged stone is not a bad substitute for a knife ; indeed, as a proof how skilfully are these sometimes em- ployed, I may mention that a Damara doctor does not scruple to open an artery with a sharp piece of flint for a lancet. 19^^ Mmj. — I lost my best dog, Caesar. He had seized a large puff-adder by the tail, and shook it. When the snak was released it darted at the dog's face, and, having fixed its fangs in his cheeks, stuck there like a bulldog until it was killed ; the dog only survived ten minutes. Mirage is a phenomenon of frequent occurrence here. To- day the thirsty dogs had a most ludicrous chase after the fancied water, which retreated farther and farther from them. Their eyes, like those of the men and cattle, smart and run GO dHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. ii. from the effects of the salt dust, which, being blown into their months, also increases their thirst. This pan, of which we have not ascertained the name,* seems to be about eiglit miles from east to west, and to extend farther south, being probably an offshoot of the Ntwetwe. It is dotted all over with small islands or mounds, studded with groups of baobabs and very dense little forests of soro- kaan (sterculia?) and various other plants. The effect of the mirage is very pretty, and the interest of the scene would no doubt be much enhanced Avhen the pan is covered with water, as it is during the rainy season, when all the trees and plants would be green. The Ntwetwe pan, which lies about 90 or 100 miles east from hence, is from 15 to 20 miles broad, showing sometimes a clear horizon, without a vestige of verdure. I have often tried, for experiment's sake, to take a latitude on one of those pans, as I have no doubt the horizon would answer on an emergency, though it is just as likely the mirage may elevate it. Next day I was fortunate in finding water about five miles on, and, having shot there a quagga, returned with the good news. I had so often been deceived by the mirage that to-day I was very nearly turning away from real water in the belief that it w'as again a delusion, nor did I find out my mis- take until a wounded gnu led me to within a few yards of it. Game is plentiful at the water. I saw a few hundred gnus and springboks, and some quaggas, and I was fortynate in finding some Bushmen, with whom I established a good understanding, and learnt from them all that we Avanted to know with reference to our position. I employed all the spare hands to-day in collecting salt, which I yesterday observed in abundance on the pan. It is not found in such a thick crust (two and a half to three * The Bushmen say there are several pans in this group, called respec- tively Gooinaw, Sabatho, and Karoo. CHAP. II.] SALT-PANS. 61 inches) as on the south side of the Botletlie river, in the salt-pans I discovered in 1 852 ; but, b'ke tliat, it is white as the driven snow. When at that time I took a quantity to make presents of to my lady acquaintances in the Trans- Vaal, it was pronounced to be the prettiest of all the curiosities I had collected. The pans on the south yield considerably more than any on the north, and we might have gathered several thousand tons if we could have trans})orted it. The underlying mud of these pans is an unctuous, tenacious sub- stance, very like cement, and a hard greenish honeycombed cavemulous or vermiculated sandstone (?) lies scattered at intervals. In some of tlie smaller outside pans a hard white crust of limestone has formed on the surface of the soil, which, having been broken by the hoofs of game, lies scattered around like fiat pieces of ivory. The springs on the north side of these pans have generally a bank of tufa, wdiile those south of the Botletlie, when they have a distinct bank, have it on the south side. Some of the springs are no more than little pits dug out of the bottom of sloping limestone hollows or ponds, by the aid of a Bushman spade, a sharpened stick. Some of these ponds are broad and shallow, without any bank, and the surface is covered with loose shingle, while others are an irregular, or, more often, a rounded fissure in limestone tufa, with two or three successive layers or watermarks in the bank underneath. The pits or wells are generally filled Avith small rounded shingle, while one side is more generally a slope by which men and animals descend to the water. I do not think that the game has broken the banks down to that extent, but they would natur- ally approach the Avater on the most accessible side. When I first entered this country I found many of those ponds with an abrupt bank all round, and the water then, as was usual, nearly up to the top ; but even in ten years a wonderful cliange has taken place ; the water has gradually diminished, (52 r//A/'MAX'S TJLll'ELS. [ni.w. u. owing no doubt to tlie general desiccation going on ; and in places where formerly I could swim we have now to go un- derground for a supply of water. Whenever late and heavy rains fall the natives say that things are very much better, though never as it used to be of old. They say the country is dead. Water boils here at 206-^2,/ ; therm. 84^. CHAP. III.] GIG AN no BAOBAB. 63 CHAPTER III. Lai'ffe Baobab Tree — Gnus — Encounter with Rhinoceros — Pahn Trees — Morals and Manners of the Bushmen — Advance to the Zambesi — Tsap;obye — The Ntwetwe ISalt-pan — Hoan Antelopes — Native Hunting- pits — Formation of the Ngami Basin — Bushmen — Tree-Lizards — Lion- killing. 21 S7' May, 1862. — We took the wagons a few miles in a north-east direction, with a dense narrow forest on one side and a pan on the other, to some water, where we made a camp, devoting the day to shooting, of which we made bad work, only bagging one springbok and a gnu, the Bushmen no doubt laughing at our ill success. Yesterday I was also unsuccessful, wounding, like to-day, several animals ; and to- day I found two gnus, which had died during the night of their wounds, and had been partially devoured by beasts and birds of prey. I do not remember ever having such bad luck since my boyish days ; but I have this excuse in my favour, that I have been firing with a gun minus a front sight, which was knocked off through the carelessness of one of my men. The north bank of the salt-pan, which forms our present station, runs in a line about 6" south by compass, and a branch of it turns from the east end and extends north. We are now encamped at the north-east end of the forest along which we came, and which divides the pan from a large palm to the north of it. South of us stands a gigantic baobab tree, one limb of which has by some means been torn to the ground in spite of its long roots. The semi-diameter of the prostrate portion of the trunk measures twenty-seven feet, and that C4 CHAPMAN'S TEA VELS. [chap. hi. portion stanrliiig measures 101 feet iu circumference ! The prostrate log has been hollowed out by some means or other, and the wooden caves are now full of bats, owls (barn-owl), and ^^ild cats. The Bushmen here call all this country of pans and plains, the Karoo. The fire-smoke at Chajjo's is to-day visible about SW.S., and also at the large vley, 20 miles this side the river. The Bushmen point — 60 miles to Kamma-Kamma; 90 miles to Gdam Kerril ; 100 miles to Zoutharra. This country, with all its pans, has the appearance of hav- ing been a lake of immense size, the supply of water which filled it in former days having no doubt been stopped far away to the north of Lebebes by some volcanic action, which has sent the water formerly coming hither in another direc- tion. Dr. Livingstone thinks the Victoria Falls have drained it. Is it not rather more probable that some gradual pressure from within has been slowly at work, which would account for the general desiccation of the country ? Within the life- time of some of the Lake people and Makobas the Ngami has gradually receded a mile or more all round, and within the knowledge of white men still living fountains have every- where been dryiug up. I have had abundant opportunity of noticing the same thing going on gradually during the last ten years. The natives coming from Lebebe also insist that one branch of the Teouge (or Okavango) diverges towards the west coast, just in the same manner as the Tugela is said to diverge from the Orange river. Some of my companions and our people have been suffering from time to time from attacks of fever ever since w^e left Koobie. It is rather late now for so much of it. Two JMaii- watos have just passed on their road to iSekomi's from Seke- letu's ; they are the survivors of four sent on an embassy by Sekomi a few months ago, two having died of fever. The water is very salt here, and produces diarrhoea. We CHAP. 111.] BIliDS NUMElWUti. 65 would move to a vley on the east side of the plains, but there must evidently be a great scarcity of wood, as the Bushmen carry it from hence. We boiled a large quantity of salt for the purpose of purifying it. A sufficient quantity of water to cover the salt is gradually boiled away, and the lime, &c., is deposited as sediment in a crust at the bottom of the pot. A puff-adder was killed, 4 ft. 4 in. long and 9 in. in cir- cumference ; it was exceedingly fat. It may be observed that the nictitating film, or perhaps the true covering over the albumen of the puff-adder's eye, is shed with the skin, and is of a harder texture and transparent. On Friday, when I killed the gnu, the Bushmen had observed in silence my adjusting the camera to photograph the troop, and when the gnus ran, and I fired and brouglit down the game at long range, the Bushmen, instead of running off at once, took me by the button-hole, and asked whether God (Morimo) was in there — j)ointing to the camera. I shot a most magnificent bird here, called by the Bushmen koilzara. It is evidently a kind of crapu. I notice the high- flying eagle often soaring over guinea-fowls and pheasants, but they keep out of range. A small and pretty warm-brown hawk hovereil all day long about over the mice-holes which are here so numerous ; but I found it impossible to get even within 100 yards of it. The grey pheasants abound here. Peewits, plovers, and a few small gulls, ducks, and geese, are still sporting in the vleys, of which I found five or six con- taining water on the east side of the plain or pan. I saw here also the mocking-bird, or kochelaar of the Boers ; it is not found farther west. Iltli May. — This morning a keen, cold, cutting wind, with a fog, blew across the plain, so that the fire is the centre of attraction, and all hands crowd around it. The dogs lay coiled up shivering, and the cattle, instead of grazing, stand with hair erect huddled up under the lee of trees and bushes. VOL. II. F 6G CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. iii. On these plains the wind blows almost continually, often with great violence, and uproots even the giant baobab (which, owing to its bulk, offers such great resistance to the storm), of which several may be seen prostrated, in spite of their stupenf^lous bulk and very extensive roots. About 11 o'clock a cold fog succeeded. The wind continued very unpleasant all day, so that there is no chance of photographing. 28^/i May. — We have been here now a week, as well to allow time for the sick people's recovery as to try and get a good photograph of the mirage on the salt-pans, and the giant baobab tree ; but although I have spent a deal of time and patience already, I fear I shall have to give it up altogether, as wind and weather are against me. To-day the sick people say they would be able to walk a little distance, but the wind, accompanied by fog, is so cold and cutting that it would be cruelty to suffer them to do so unless a lull takes place. The game is driven about for shelter, and men and beasts also. In the afternoon we start across the plain to Tsametko, a well near which stood a Bushman village. The head-man speaks Sechuana tolerably well, and, on the promise of a few beads and some tobacco, he undertook to conduct us through to Kowgnarra by a more southernly route. The Bushmen begged the offal of a springbok which I shot here. The stomach they filled full of blood and fat, and baked it in the hot earth. The lower joints of the animals they also got, and from these they extracted and swallowed the marrow raw. The blood of some animals they also eat raw. ?,Oth May. — The wagons reach Thanyo, or Kanyo, a spring- vley in tufa, on a plain (about nine miles farther on). I had a chase after and wounded a fine male giraffe. Saw some gems- boks, and plenty of game spoor, such as elands, rhinoceroses, &c. ; made skaarms, and lay by the water. At night eight rhinoceroses came to drink, but never within reach of me. CHAP. III.] WHITE RHINOCEROSES. 67 John fired at one. The rliiuoceroses, all of which were white, occupied each twelve minutes to drink their fill, after which they wallow in the mud, or else go to their regular sleeping- places. At these their dung is found accumulated, some- times to the amount of a ton or more. They like the warmth of the manure to lay in. The sounds emitted by these animals is something like the coughing of a horse, and A\ hen in distress, a stifled asthmatic cry ; when in pain they squeal like a storm-whistle. The white rhinoceros likes the open plains, where there is just enough bush to shelter him from sun and wind. The borele likes the jungle of thorns (haakdoorn), and the most secluded and retired spots. The khoetla, or large black rhinoceros, is more an inhabitant of rocky hills. I noticed last night a fine meteor at about 10 o'clock, ascending like a rocket. This is the second of the kind that we have seen this trip. Yesterday afternoon, while going to the spring, I nearly trod on a yellow cobra, which lay in the path. It raised its expanded head high above the ground, and in another instant would have bitten me had I not quite involuntarily started eight or ten paces off. The plains last travelled over by us are very beautifully diversified with dwarf palms and downy acacias dotted over them. We are evidently travelling parallel with the Ntwetwe pan, lying some miles south of us. Zlst May. — We lay by the water to shoot, and were hardly seated in the skaarm when we heard the approach of giraffes awkwardly stumbling over the loose stones near the water. One male was in advance ; he came opposite me, and I might have dropped him on the spot, but I let him pass on to Baines's skaarm, while the remaining giraffes (about twenty in all) stood 200 yards off, spread apart, and tapering gradually away in the distance, while their male companion ¥ 2 ■ 68 ' ClfAF31AN\S TBAVELS. [ciiat-. in. came to reconnoitre the ground, which he did by going round the pond, and bending his neck into a seraicircle to smell the earth. At length the others came up, and, selecting one, I fired, but with blank powder, having omitted to put in a bullet in the afternoon. After firing at some quaggas I quickly seized another gun, and wounded the animal, which made great strides to get away, but I was able to get up to him, dark as it was, and give him another shot. Five rhinoceroses drank at intervals during the night, at two of which I fired, but as it was very cloudy and dark neither of the shots were immediately mortal. Next morning I rode out in hopes of falling in with vultures somewhere, which would direct me to some dead animal, as w-e could not succeed in keeping the blood spoors ; but without success. I saw some gemsboks, but they were so wild I could not near them, and our dogs fell in with a troop of elands, and caught two young ones (about 300 lbs. each), which the Damaras speared. I shot here the white ibis (Ihis religiosa ?), and the little silvery widgeon, or duiker, which I have mentioned before at the Zambesi and in Walvisch Bay. How these birds and others, such as coots, rails, ^c, travel from the rivers, I do not know, as they do not fly, only skimming over the surface of the water, from which they seem to obtain aid or support by flapping the points of their wings on it as they proceed, and never rise above it. Young ducks and geese I have found miles away from a dried-up pool, where they were hatched, marching along tlie foot-path or game-path, under the guidance of their dam, to another pool or river. Baines, Barry, and myself lay by the water to kill game. A large male white rhinoceros came to my skaarm, a hole in the ground two feet deep — so large indeed that I mistook him for an elephant. My first attempt failed, from the cap snap- ping, but, seizing another gun, I fired as he was in the act of CHAP. III.] 1 1 in TE EH IN VER OS KK 09 flying-, and the shot was not immediately mortal. By an 1 by two others came, and, by arrangement, I fired at tlie foremost and Barry at the other. Mine fell with a broken shonlder, and, struggling off a little way, I crept out of the skaarm, and with one more shot killed her. Presently some- thing approached the dead rhinoceros, which we made out to be, first' one, then two, three, four, six, and lastly eight rhinoceroses — a whole troop! The cry was, "No, they are elephants !" They came head-on, and not until one pro- SLAYIXG A WHITE RHIKOCEROS. truded her horn over the edge of the skaarm was the illusion dispelled. At that moment I fired into her breast, when, with a terrible puffing, sniffing, and distressful squealing and charging hither and thither round us, the cow dropped, and died by the side of the other, while the remainder, ten in all (including two young ones), closed around her, utter- ing cries of mingled rage and distress. At this moment 1 crept out and followed them, wounding successively three others, and then, deeming it unsafe to expose myself any 70 (J I [A I'M A N 'S Til A VELS. [chap. hi. more, retired to my skaarm, I thought all this firing would drive everything out of the country ; but I had not long settled myself for sleep when another approached, smelling at the dead ones more warily than usual. I, how- ever, succeeded in giving him a shot, which drove him off M'ith the usual pufiing and squealing, and after this Baines, at liis look-out, also got a sliot at one ; then I went to sleep with a good inclination, after three nights' constant watching. 2nd June. — I photographed the two rhinoceroses (females), one of which is the so-called kobaba and the other the mohogu, but I believe them to be only varieties. I rode out to kill one of the wounded ones vvhich stood close by, but wishing to see how the dogs behaved, and give them a little training, I waited till they roused him, looking on within thirty yards : to my surprise, the rhinoceros proved more active than I could have believed, and gave my horse great trouble to overtake him, and when he had done so my gun missed fire three times, and, after a gallop of about five miles, I lost sight of him, dogs and all, to my great mortification, in a field of mopani bush. I saw numbers of vultures alighting far in the south, but I was too distant from camp to attend to them. On reaching the spring, the Bushmen said they had seen a rhinoceros near where I started the other one ; so, having first finished my photography, I rode thither and perceived one, a bull, standing in the long grass on the plain. This time I had taken the precaution to leave the dogs, and dismounting from my horse I crept to within forty paces, and gave him a deliberate shot behind the shoulder, which set him galloping off. Quickly reloading and overtaking him, I gave him another shot, and then another, apparently Avithout any other effect than to excite his curiosity and bring him trotting towards me, when I gave him two more shots. The dogs CHAP. III.] VARIETIES OF THE RHINOCEROS TRIBE. 71 now came up and were charged ; I followed to give him another shot, and a young Bushboy, leading my horse, incau- tiously did the like. When pursued, I fled past my horse, but the Bushboy, afraid to abandon him, notwithstand- ing that I told him to do so as I passed, stood shaking my whip at the approaching beast. I felt alarmed, and halted with the intention of firing at the animal's head if it came near the boy, but, fortunately, the dogs worrying him, he turned away, and ran into a bush to rub off a Bushman's spear which stood planted in his back : there the poor animal remained for ten minutes, when he staggered, fell, and died. I killed a snake near the wagon : it measured 4 ft. 5 in. in length and 3 in. in circumference. It has a black stripe down the back, half an inch wide, as ground colour, on which oblong scales lay close together. A central row, being of a lighter colour, looks like a pale streak down the middle of the back ; a line of half an inch on either side, light brownish-grey ; eyes hazel. Found creeping on the ground near the \a agon : looks like a tree-climber. Notwithstanding an opinion to the contrary which is en- tertained by many travellers, I do not believe that the so-called kobaba is really a distinct species. The Bushmen say kobaba in some dialects for a white rhinoceros (or the long-horned variety, which tlie white rhinoceros actually is) : hence probably the mistake. In countries where guns are not yet introduced, the rhinoceros is suffered to attain a greater age; their horns consequently grow longer, and in the course of time begin to straighten, and eventually, owing to the friction of the under-side against the ground, maturity of age, &c., incline downwards. Some change like this is, I believe, perceptible in all animals in extreme or mature age, or at a certain time, which is, perhaps, often their prime ; filing or friction on one side of the horn also would incline its growth in that direction. I believe that wherever guns 72 CHAPMAN'S TBAVELS. [chap. m. are to be found at present the white rhinoceros is not allowed to reach its prime, and will soon be extinct. In newly- opened countries we always find long-horned rhinoceroses at first. These are picked upon, chosen, and even trailed and shot, by every new comer, for their long horns. I have never found a person yet who could conscientiously say he had seen a young or middle-aged kobaba distinguishable from a mohoo;u — not even a Bechuana or Bushman. 4th June. — While the wagons and sick people were being moved to more comfortable quarters, in an isolated thicket half a mile north-east of the water, I walked over to the Bushmen's bivouac. It was pleasing to see the progress the four men had made. All the flesh of the rhinoceros I had given them was cut up and neatly hung on stages, forming a square, in long festoons, under the shade of which they were cutting uj) the feet and the hide into thongs with which to tie up the meat into bundles. The bones were cleaned and picked, ready to be chopped up and the fat boiled out. The blood had been collected and hung up in gut-bags, some of which were converted into water-vessels. This was rather a contrast to our Damara encampment. The heads of the two rhinoceroses which I had wished to photograph w^ere being stripped by a hundred vultures. Parts of the ver- tebree had been picked clean, large junks of flesh lay scattered in all directions, some in the sand, some in the dung, and a few pieces hung on the neighbouring trees, Axhile all the way to the river the ground was strewn with patches of hide and pieces of meat, which had been dragged hither and thither by wolves and jackals during the night. Added to this confusion of things, there was nothing but quaiTelling going on day and night, each envying some bit tliat an- other had. I found one of the golden lizards which I mentioned in my journal of 1853, on my way to Sekeletu's. It is four and CHAP, m.] PALM TREES. 73 a half inches long, has a small, neat head, very small legs, feet, and toes, a thick tail, and the colour is as near a re- presentation of shining gold as one can find in any living creature. Sunday, 8th June. — After remaining here ten days, wait- ing the recovery particularly of our sick people, we made a short trek to-day of seven miles to a cluster of palms. These palm trees (Nucifera Thebaica) are visible to the naked eye at a great distance. Across the pans I have seen the tops 20 miles off. These otherwise naked plains are studded here and there with solitary or small groups of tall palm trees, or young ones. Having been riding a long distance to-day, and feeling thirsty, I oflP-saddled near a group and sliot down some bunches of tlieir rich brown fruits, severing the stems with a bullet. Knowing these nuts, of the size of an orange, to contain a milky fluid like the cocoa- nut, and boi-ing with a knife into one of the eyes, in general just opposite the stem, I got a sufficient and pleasant drink from about twenty of them. They are miniature cocoa-nuts, but so hard that I have never been able to break them with stones. The rind is esteemed very good eating, resembling somewhat in flavour ginger-nuts ; hence it is known as the ginger-bread tree. Those which I got to-day were not ripe, in which state they are eaten boiled — pulp, rind, and all. One finds the young palms so far removed from the large bearing trees, sometimes 20 or 30 or more miles, that one naturally wonders how they came there; but on in- quiry from the Bushmen I find that the fruit, being eatable, is conveyed all over the country, and the kernel being thrown away it germinates readily. These trees are a very pretty sight when they form groups; they have a large, radiating, fan-shaped, recurved leaf, on a compressed stem six feet long, the latter having brown-hooked thorns an inch or two apart on either side. Some of the leaves, especially 74 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. iii. on the large trees, are curled up into a circle, which adds to the beauty of the tree. They stand from about forty to sixty feet high, the trunk being only from twelve to eighteen inches in diameter, often less, and generally thicker in the middle or near the top than at the bottom. I procured some of the root with which, many years ago, I saw the Bushmen cure themselves of snake -bite. They call it eokam. This creeping tendrilous plant has a leaf like an obtuse rhomb, rather downy, and having a chilli-shaped aculeated pod, full of a long silky fibre adhering to the seeds. We see so many snakes of late that I think it necessary to have some of this plant in case of accident. About eight or ten grains, either eaten or taken as a decoction, act as an emetic. The dose is repeated about three times, \Ahen the patient is cured. They also tattoo and scarify their botlies, and make an incision near the wound, which they suck with some of the root, chewed, in their mouths. This is evidently to prevent the poison acting upon the gums in case of bleeding. The sucking out of the poison is not necessary, but it is done by way of precaution. Bushmen haviug a bit of this on their necks laugh at snake-bites. I shall gather a lot and take it to Cape Town \\iih. me. I mean to try the tsetse poison with it, and the poison-grub also. I have had the good fortune to fall in with some of my old friends, the Bushmen whom I had about me in 1852-53. They are much more agreeable and willing fellows than those we have lately had to do with. Old Pele, a Sechuana, has been our guide from the Baol)ab pan. He is about fifty years old, has lost one eye, and is very communicative : he does not speak Sechuana according to the most approved style, but in rather a comical one of his own. When he means to say, " We will sleep " (rohala) in such and such a place, he says, " We will break clown " {robega), and for " AVe will pass" (phieta) he says "We will hide" (pitia). How- CHAP. III.] LIFE IN THE DESERT. 75 ever incorrect and ungrammatical their imitation of Sechuana may be, the style has become universal in these parts, and quite intelligible to those who have dealings with them. This is the first time that Bushwomen have visited our wagon since we left Walvisch Bay. Here they and their children come fearlessly to see us, to dance and sing, or to examine the wagon and oxen ; but west of the lake no female ever showed herself, excepting near Riet Fontein, where they are already become quite Hottentotized and dis- solute. The Bushmen generally are less corrupt in their morals than any of the larger congregated tribes, excepting when they have long been in close contact with them. They live comparatively chaste lives, and their women are not at all flattered by the attentions of their Bechuana lords. Instead of an honour, they would look upon intercourse with any one out of the tribe, no matter how superior, as a degradation. On the whole the Bushman seems to be the happiest of mortals in their simple state, and in their parched wilds, which "just gives what life requires, but gives no more." The wide desert, with its life of comparative freedom, imparts even to the civilized white man a degree of, not exactly happiness, but freedom from care and anxiety, which it is hardly possible to obtain in a civilized state of society. Wi June. — After a few miles we passed a sandy hillock on our left, where were large troops of gnus and quaggas, some gemsboks and hartebeests. In another five or six miles we left the prairie, when the grass was as high as my horse's withers, and sometimes two or three feet higher. This is the tambookie grass, which has a very acrid taste, and emits a strong resinous odour. We then entered a country where the golden mopani encircled ^\ith its bright foliage the grey trunks of motchueries and granite-like trunks of the giant baobabs : where these trees fall, a number of tall saplings 76 C II AT MAN'S TRAVELS. [chap.iii. soon spring up ft'om the upper surface of the now horizontal trunk, and grow into trees. This tree is a bauhinia. The leaves look like a rhomboid divided into two; the texture strong, and petiole reddish. The core of the wood resembles mahogany. The whole distance to Kowgnarra is about 18 miles. Here we struck into my old paths of 1853-4-5. The water at Kowgnarra was very low indeed, but still abundant for our purposes, and hundreds of quaggas and gnus are drink- ing at it. The Bushmen recognised me at once, though it is seven years since they saw me last. A wagon from Sechelli's has just passed on to Sekeletu's, but the waters have been so scarce that they were obliged to send their oxen from Karama-Ivamma to drink here before starting afresh. Several of my favourite fountains have dried up, but fortunately I hear that the late rains have fallen abundantly to the east- ward. The glare of the sun is so great that one can hardly open his eyes to look upon the extensive plains covered with ripe grass : to me it is painful. The haze conceals miles of the level country from our view during the day, and the horizon appears only about a mile distant all round ; but in the evening, when the sun has set, one can see, standing on the wagon-box, 10 or 12 miles in every direction. To-day we had an unusual wind from the westward. It was so dry that I felt in a constant fever, I think this is owing to there having been so little rain in the Lake country and westward this year ; for the winds from the south and south- west bring a cooling freshness, if not a perfect fog, with it, and in the south-west and south I hear they have had abundant late rains. The thermometer was 82° in the coolest part ; lately it has seldom been much above 70° at mid-day. The Bamahwato seek, by various pretences, to delay our progress, wishing me to kill game for them ; but we con- CHAiMu.] ADVANCE EASTWAUD. 77 tinue our advance to the eastward, uuder the guidance of our friendly Bushmen. Leaving Kowgnarra, we came to Odeakoe, another fine spring in sandstone tufa. This was the residence of Sekomi after he had been conquered and plundered by the Matabele on the south-east of the great salt-pau. While walking ahead of the wagons I saw several snakes, which I disturbed as they lay sleeping in the path. These frequent meetings with them made me quite nervous at last, especially when one sprang tliree feet into the air before me ; I could not help leaping away several yards. But the snake's great leap was induced by nothing more than fear. It was asleep, and was startled, which lent it for a moment such involuntary strength. This particular snake is a thin striped one, called by the Bamauwato mashneme. They have a superstitious belief with regard to it that, Avlien one meets it in the course of the day while he is hunting elephants, or whatever he may be in pursuit of, fortune ^aIII favour him. Our Bamailwato friend, Moreymele, tried very hard to dissuade me from going north, and advised me rather to go south. Besides the lying story about my brother, he now, on learning our intention of going via Chapatani's to the Zambesi and the east coast, assured us that Chapatani's tribe had been lately destroyed and scattered by Moselikatze, affecting to be astonished at my ignorance of the fact. Finding that no device of his would make me alter my course, he -begged for everything, and, getting nothing, said he would accompany us. I would have paid him something handsome to be rid of him, but dared not let him know it. 11th June. — Leaving Odeakoe yesterday, we rattled over six miles of country to a spring in tufa, called Gnasani, passing mid-way a dry pan, which, like many otliers, had 78 CHAPMAN'S TEA VELS. [chap. hi. been a living spring when I was here a few years since. This morning I sent the people, with the clogs, to follow the spoor of a rhinoceros which John had wounded during the night. We lost the best of our dogs in consequence ; he seized the rhinoceros by the nose, when the enraged beast impaled him on his horn, and then crushed him with his ponderous foot. This rhinoceros was a magnificent one, standing 6ft. Sin. high at the shoulder. We took the best of the meat, and left the remainder to Moreymele and his people. In the afternoon we travelled on to Kagopslie pits, about six miles, through groves of beautiful mopani, with a field of soft sweet grass of uniform height, growing on the perfectly level surface beneath, Avithout any weeds or underwood. The soil seems of that bluish, clayey, tenacious consistency we find in the bed of the pans, or is partially covered with a sprinkling of white sand and reddish gravel ; in some parts large tracts of this level ground are strewn with shingle. The mopani leaves have a pleasant aromatic odour, some- thing like the orange. I frequently crush a handful, and find the odour very invigorating. There is also a small bulb called tao, used by the Bamahwato ladies as a perfume, which emits a really pleasant and refreshing odour. This, I find, grows bet\^een the limestones near the springs, as also a kind of portulaca, with scarlet flower, which, crushed in the hand, is very fragrant and refreshing. Vlth June. — After an early breakfast we started for Tsa- goobyana and Tsagoobye, about four or five miles distant. I rode ahead to-day, being tired of walking, and having been obliged for some time jDast to give up my wagon to two sick Damaras. My Bushman guide observing the spoor of a rhino- ceros, took me on it, instead of following our proper course ; his design did not escape me; but as the spoor was fresh, and there seemed a good chance of our overtaking the animal. CHAP. III.] ALONG THE AUTEOIi'S FORMER TRACK. 79 I pretended not to see the trick, and after two miles we came upon him lying near a field of stunted mopani. His friends the khala birds warned him, and us too at the same time. He made a movement as if he were going to get up, which satis- fied the birds for the time, but, changing his mood (laziness, as usual, getting the better of him), he still lay quiet. I had sprung from my horse and stalked him, and now I fired, and I did not expect to see him rise again, but in an instant he was on his legs, and rushing through our ranks with blind fury. I had not time to mount my horse, so took shelter behind him, and when he came near us lie turned awav aoain and fled. He ran half a mile, but I would not waste more powder and lead upon him, seeing that he was dying. The Bushman and my Damara servant seemed to take particular delight in torturing him with their spears, while he was trying to support himself by pressing his chin, which is always near the earth, against it, curling his tail over his rump. Pursuing our course, we halted at Tsagoobye, and sent the oxen to drink at some pools of rain-water on the margin of the Ntwetwe salt-pan, which is still parallel with our course from about south-east of Kanyo. We are now, how- ever, within a mile or two of its margin, and on my track of 1852-4. At Tsagoobye we found water for ourselves, and, in case of necessity, might have dug for some for the cattle, as also at Tsagoobyana. I photographed one of the baobabs under which we outspanned. A large bee-hive was situated about forty feet from the bottom ; and along this, the straight side of the tree, were two rows of pegs driven into the soft wood to answer the purpose of a ladder, by which to scale the hive at its giddy height. By the marks of several successive sets of pegs, I should say this bee-hive must have been here a great many years ; I think I noticed it ten years ago. 80 CHAPMAN'S TBAVELS. [chap. in. To-day we saw abundance of game, troops of from 500 to 1000 quaggas, and the like of gnus. Smaller herds of the graceful and warm-coloured pallahs add their attractions to the natural parks of bright-leaved mopani, and in the open plains troops of springboks roam peaceably about, like flocks of slieep. I might have shot game here to my heart's content, but we had enough, and ammunition was growing scarce. Water boils at 207^ ; therm. 73^°. I shot here a brace, male and female, of the roan antelope, and photographed them. The Boers call them bastard-gems- bok, or bastard-eland ; the Bechuanas call them qualata. They resemble greatly the black buck in form and action. This antelope, unlike the true gemsbok, visits the water regularly to drink. It inhabits the elevated regions from the north of the Trans- Vaal to the Zambesi, but extends its range into the sandy desert as long as the rain-water lasts. The Bushmen lay to watch in a skaarm adjacent to the telle-kello fences, in which during the day-time they have made a large fire of hard wood. In the evening they cover up the burning embers, and a gentle warmth is imparted to the atmosphere around for a certain distance within its influence. During the day they also shape several large clubs out of touchwood, generally of some decayed baobab, and when at night the game have poured down to the water they rush out on either side, extending themselves towards either end of the fuunel-shaj)ed fences. At the entrance they throw the clubs, which they have previously ignited, at the panic-stricken animals as they try on all sides to avoid entering between the two fences. The burning brands, flying about like meteors, cause them to change their course, and the startled animals rush thundering between the fences, which gradually narrow as they advance, increasing at the same time in heicrht and strength. The demoniac ( iiAi'. 111.] BUSHMEN MODE OF CAPTURING GAME. 81 yells and blazing firebrands of their pursuers add to the terror and consequent speed with which the hindermost are impelled onwards. At length, when their terror is at its height, between the highest part of the fences an escape seems at hand by the apparent opening in front. Men on either side guard the fences, so that they do not break through, and with one terrific bound they leap the low square fence fronting the pit, and are swallowed up by the trea- cherous and yawning abyss into which they are precipitated one upon another, until the whole presents an indescribable chaos of writhing, smothering, and torturing agonies. The pit is filled with probably from 50 to 100 head of game, and the living make their escape by trampling over the dying, while the delighted Bushmen rush in, spear in hand, and slay the uppermost while they are struggling to escape. In the evening I went to the v>ater, shot two gnus before dark in the neighbourhood of tlie fountain, returning to which I observed a pan- of roan antelopes, which I could just distin- guish to be such. I followed them up, shot one and wounded the other, and covered the former with bushes from the vul- tures. At midnight I shot a fine male by the water ; another, and a borele : thousands of thirsty gnus stood around, but were afraid to come down ; several rhinoceroses likewise. Next night the game came again in great numbers, but were afraid to venture down. A fine male lion drank near me, but just as I had made him. out and raised my gun to fire at him, the noise of the people at the wagons startled him, and he slunk away. I killed a gnu and a steinbok. In my former journal I mentioned our being surrounded by ten lions one night, near the Shua, and that we had nearly expended all our ammunition U[ton them without their even flinching, till at length I hit a lioness near me, and she bounded into the air with a growl, and went off followed by the rest. To-day I accidentally heard from Morogonyani VOL. II. G 82 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. iir. that after our wagon left that place next clay, his brother found the lioness dead ; she was a very large and fat one, and they ate her. This makes only seven lions killed by me during twelve years of experience of African travel, so much less numerous are these animals than is supposed by many persons. CHAP. IV.] THE GREAT SALT LAKE. 83 CHAPTER IV. Metsi-butluko — The Salt Lake and Ntwetwe Basins — roison-slivub — Pufi- Adders — Watering-places in tlie Desert — Tsamafupa — Seringa Forests — Approach to the Zambesi Basin — Daka — Interview with Maka- lakas — The Sable Antelope — Native Customs — Final Start for the Falls — Difficulties of Approach — First View of the Falls — The Goal reached — Our Camp at the Falls. On the lotli of June we started for Metsi-botliiko (" the bitter water"), which we reached next evening. This was my farthest east in 1852, at which time the country had never been visited by a white man. In 1854 I advanced to the south of this point, and opened up the country north-east to near the Madumumbela mountains, in Moselikatze's country, much to the annoyance of the Bamanwato chief, Sekomi. It is satisfactory to find the positions I gave to the Great Salt- pan and the Ntwetwe turn out so very nearly correct, con- sidering that I had no sextant at the time, my map being made from compass-bearings worked all the way up from Natal in the first place, and from Kuniman afterwards. From my survey of the ground all round the Great Salt Lake, and the various evidences referred to in 1854, I felt satisfied, in spite of all contrary opinions, of there being no outlet eastward from the lake, but, on the contrary, that there is a flowiug-in of the Nata and the Shua (a periodical river), and several other rivulets from the east, inundating the lake every summer, and sometimes bringing fish into it. Indeed, no other account can be obtained from the inhabitants on the spot than that which I first gave ; namely, that the Salt Lake g2 84 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELH. [chap. iv. was formed by the confluence of the Botletlie from the west, and the Shua and several others from the east. The waters thus meeting from opposite sides overflow a vast level plain of bluish unctuous clay, covered with a white saline eiSores- cence, and often salt in parts, after the evaporation of the water. The Ntwetwe, on the other hand, is an overflow of the Botletlie alone, and has no connection with the Great Salt Lake, but comes out of the Botletlie river at Chapo's marsh, and becomes inundated when that river overflows, as well as during the rainy season. Tlie Bushmen say that the Botletlie continues to run towards the Shua, but when that river brings down its mountain-torrents with thundering- noise, the latter, preponderating, scatters the waters across the plain, and then pursues its course up the bed of the Botletlie for some distance back again. I had walked ahead to Metsi-botluko. It was excessively hot, and one of the Bushmen got a sun-stroke. On an open plain, the heat, even in winter, is unbearable here. The natives often get sun-strokes, which I have never known to liappen where the plain is bushy. I found at one water the spoor of rhinoceroses, giraffes, quaggas, &c., and a mile and a half or two miles farther, the fresh spoor of lions, rhinoceroses, elephants, &c. ; one of the last-named animals had evidently bled a good deal as he stood drinking. On looking about I observed the track of four or five wagons about a month old, so that some one is in advance of us on this line. A great number of Bushmen are following us, some fat and plump, others the most pitiable objects imaginable — men, women, and children, shrivelled with hunger. At meal- times there seems really little difference between these poor famished wretches and the dogs ; they devour food much more greedily than any white man's dog. Give them a CHAP. IV.] EDIBLE LIZARDS. 85 lump of meat, and they cram themselves in a most disgusting- manner. I learnt here from the Bushmen that there are bu'ds which accompany the gnu, and that every large animal, the hippo- potamus included, has a distinct bird, with the exception of the elephant. On inquiring of the Bushmen, who have only water to drink, how they come to be so fat, I hear it is from eating gopanis (egoana), which they stew nicely, stamp it fine, and mix with the fat and eggs of the reptile, which makes a delicious and nourishing dish. Gopanis are plenti- ful in this neighbourhood ; the Bushmen find by the spoor the hole they inhabit, and dig them out. These huge land lizards are from three to four feet long, and another larger kind about six. They are quite distinct from the aquatic kind, which are of a darker and lighter colour, and have the tail laterally compressed, like the crocodile, to aid them in steering under the water. They are a pale, raw sienna ground-colour, irregularly marked down the back with brown lozenge-shaped patches, with small spots between. When irritated they will not only defend themselves, but attack and give chase to man, when they erect their tails and expand their cheeks, which are painted with pale cobalt blue. They dart their forked tongues out with great rapidity, like a snake, and inflict severe blows with their tails, or bite, but are not venomous. They ascend and descend trees with great rapidity. The Bechuanas have a tradition respecting this reptile — that when God naade the crocodile and the egoana, before giving them tongues, he placed two tongues at a distance, and bade them run a race to see which would take both, and that the egoana won the race ; therefore they believe croco- diles have none at all, because it is difiScult to detect them. II th June. — At Metsi-botluko water boils at 207-fiy° ; therm, at 77^. This I believe has been the standing camp 86 CHAPMAN'S TBA VELS. [chap. iv. of the Messrs. Green during- a whole season, and the game show by their wariness how well they recollect it, for we fired only one gun on the day of our arrival, and of all the many rhinoceroses, elephants, and troops of smaller game which had been 'Irinking the night before not a single one made its appearance during the first night of our stay. On the following afternoon, while Baines's dinner and his blankets were lying in readiness for him at the skaarm, with- out anybody to look after them, a wolf (hyena) made free with his sketch-book and one of the blankets, which it tore and partially devoured, ate off the horn handle of a table- knife, and crunched a teapot, but could not appreciate our style of cookery, for it left the cooked viands untouched. The game here is exceedingly cautious, which shows that there must have been a deal of shooting since I was last here. Killed a snake yesterday, and one to-drfy. 2Qtli June. — At 12 o'clock we left Metsi-botluko and steered about north-cast, having crossed a broad valley running north and south, and again another valley winding towards the latter from the east to the north-east. Walking ahead of the wagons I saw some quaggas and a gnu, but they ^\ere so shy 1 could not get a shot. As I was looking out for a sleeping-place for our camp, my attention was attracted by the sight of a small shrub, wnich, from the description that had been given me, looked very like the magow, said to be so poisonous to cattle, goats, and sheep. Plucking some of it, I ran forward to question my Bushman guide, who pretended to be taking us clear of this pest. He looked at me in great alarm, declaring that he was not aware of its existence here, and urged that we should get through it before we halted. This we just suc- ceeded in accomplishing before dark, and encamped on a high sandy belt of mopani some 10 miles from Metsi-botluko. 1 had sunt back at once to urge the people across the deadly CHAP. IV.] PUFF-ADDERS. 87 plain with the loose cattle and our flock of sheep and goats, feeling nervous at the thought of losing any more after the ravages already niarle by the lung-sichness. Tv^'o large puff-adders were brought in at midnight (male and female), having found their way into the bed of a Damara. The male measured 3 ft. 8 in. in length, and 7 in, in circumference; the female 2ft. 11 in., and Tin. in cir- cumference. The head is as broad as it is long, very obtuse, muzzle like a bulldog, round nostrils, eyes situated close to the muzzle, only a quarter of an inch back of nostrils. Female, ground-colour, dirty white ; male, pale yellow. Both marked with large triangular or conical- shaped streaks, deep sepia brown in female, and dirty brown in male. Irregularly placed spots up and down the sides, and alternate spots on either side under the abdomen. Female has the tail much shorter than the male. In stuffing this reptile it should be borne in mind that the vertebrae are forced to the outside of every bend in the body, and are not seen in the middle of the skin of the back. The opposite, or inside, has consequently a corresponding depres- sion. In casting its skin, that of the eyes, a pearly, trans- parent scale, is also included. The name puff-adder has been given to it by the colonists from its habit of inflating itself when irritated, and making a loud puffing noise. Its bite is most deadly. The fangs are half an inch long, and when at rest are incased in a coat or lining. Pupil of the eye, a vertical narrow, sinister streak. The rows of teeth are very formidable. The great breadth of the head is owing to the large, powerful, and elastic muscles at the hinge of the jaws, which enable it to distend its mouth and throat to such an enormous size when seizing its prey. The skin, therefore, stretches from the distended cheeks to the muzzle in a diagonal manner, and looks like the edge of the lower jaw ; but this is far on the outside of the position of the jaws, 88 CHAPMAN'S TliA VELS. [chap. iv. which are found to occupy a narrow space in the middle of tlie month, immediately under its rows of sharp teeth. 2\st June — Five and a half miles through rather heavy san 1, undermined by innumerable mouse-holes, and covered with dense mogonono and camel-thorns, with a sprinkling of seringas and abundance of sickle-thorns, brought us to Thamaseitjie, the second of a series of springs in a sandy liolloAV called Motlomogonyani. Here I found a village of Bushmen under an old chief, Molamo, who recognised me at once, and reminded me of my having once shot i'or them a quugga and gnu at Kamkerrie. At Thamaseitjie, water boils 206 -^° ; therm. 81°. The Bushmen here speak Sechuana very well. We are now making gradually a more northerly course every day. On Sunday, the 22nd of June, we travelled about five or six miles to a spring called Garuga, in a sandy hollow. Here, although it is a never-failing spring, the water only percolates as fast as it is cleared away by Ibe animals. This spring lies in a broad valley, thickly studded with picturesque mokala trees, all in youth and vigour and full foliage, which is now quite green and downy. The wagons passed two or three other springs of the same kind before reaching this. Here we have the choice of either going round by a line of fountains to the eastward of us, or by going straight through by Tsaniafupa and Gum Kabie, as I had done in my previous journey. Thougb the former was more desirable on account of water, we took the latter, in order to get out of the magow country, and to advance quicker. We are at a loss to see wiiy we have been brought here at all, and become suspicious of our guide's honesty, as he has brought us by a round- about road into the magow, while recent wagons went straight through. He has the impudence to advise me to make a camp here in the midst of it for my wagons and people, and CHAP. IV.] AT JURUOA. 89 then to hunt on foot to the other neighbourhoods. In the fifternoon we steered across the acacia valley, and then over a thick and heavy sand belt, thickly overgrown Avith large and beautiful trees of various kinds, such as mokala, seringa, ingaw, a large, straight, and knotted acacia, another still larger acacia, growing from sixty to eighty feet high, and fully inhabited by monkeys ; also those large dark-looking trees, the kushe, which I have already mentioned as contain- ing, in a very dry season, water in their decayed cavities. This belt is about three or four miles broad. After passing through it, with a deal of labour we emerged on an open plain and by a large dry vley, near which stood a most graceful mopani tree, a little to the soutli-east. We struck into the wagon tracks which we passed at Metsi-botluko, and followed them to the end of the plain, some two or three miles farther, where we slept. Xext day we travelled through an elephant forest, striking into an old river-bed or valley, and continued by it to some pits called Gum Kabie. Here we crossed some very heavy sands, quite undermined by mice, who nibble down whole fields of grass at their roots in order to get at the seeds, Avhicli they store up. Shortly after this we crossed another dense elephant forest, to get into a valley beyond it, by following which we arrived in the evening at Juruga, two large spring-vleys. Some giraffes were seen during the trek, which was to-day some 16 miles. Baines and John occujjied skaarms at night, as elephants, rhinoceroses, and several other animals drink there. Skulls of elephants, rhinoceroses, buffaloes, and giraffes were plentiful about the water, which accounts for the game being so shy in these parts. There has evidently been great destruction e:oino- on amou2-st them, 24^/i June. — At Juruga, water boils 206 -^° ; therm. 79°. The Damara cattle do not appear to be so hardy as colonial oxen when water is scarce. They become dreadfully thii-sty 90 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. iv. an hour or two after their usual time for drinking, and though they drank yesterday forenoon, it was ridiculous to hear them bellowing, and to see them scampering at full speed, with tails up, like so many panic-stricken buffaloes, to the water when they smelt it. Here v^ere upwards of 100 head of cattle in the rush, and 200 sheep and goats, many of which unfortunate creatures, being the weaker, were knocked, down and jumped over, and so trodden or nearly squeezed to death in the crush. When the cattle reach the water it generally happens that, greedy and over-nice as they are, the foremost at once dash into the middle, and then the hindermost try to pass them, not satisfied with the water that has been dis- turbed and rendered muddy by the foremost. Thus the rear rank takes front rank in regular skirmishing order, until they have gone right through, and then the stupid animals come back to look for that which they formerly discarded, but which they now find is still more muddy. They continue walking round and round in the middle of it very disconso- lately for an hour, sipping an occasional but reluctant mouth- ful, while the sheep and horses have long ago taken their drink very peacefully on the very margin of the pool, and are now grazing contentedly. I saw rather an amusing sight to-day. Some of my^Damaras have each a pack-ox allowed them to carry meat for them, but generally they are made to carry their impedimenta, con- sisting of all sorts of rubbish and hides. The oxen are often very unwilling to be caught for the purpose of being loaded, fearing that they are to be overburthened, as is often the case. There is nothing to be done in such cases but to run them dowUj at Avhich the Damaras are generally A'eiy expert. I have often seen a Damara run after and catch a wild ox by the tail, and with a very dexterous jerk to one side throw him to the earth, or, failing in this, seize him by the horns, bend his head round, and thus render him helpless. To- CHAP. IV.] THE BODODO. 91 day, however, the whole troop of men failed, and, the women rushing out in chase, one young damsel soon caught the animal by the tail, and after being violently swung about for awhile, she brought him in with triumph, amidst the cheers of all the women at the men. 2Qth June. — We reach the Leteba, or pit- water, near Tsam- afupa, half a mile south of it, about six miles from Juruga. Tsamafupa has two fine springs. These waters, percolating through the sand, evidently come from some branch of the Zambesi, as they never fail. The limestone springs westward appear to be more dependent upon rain for their supplies than these are. I notice among the plants here my old and delicious acquaintances, the shesha and the bododo {Anona squamosa). The latter is a shrub grov\'ing about two feet high ;* the leaves are three and a half to four inches long, oblong, smooth on the upper side, and very strongly reticulated beneath, with a downy stem. The skin of the fruit is like that of a pine- apple, and, like it, marked off into square sections. The fruit is of the size of a large apple, with the colour of a ripe pine, and has a sweet powerful odour. AYheu green their fruit is stewed with meat by the Bushmen, as a vegetable. It deserves to be transplanted from the Bushmen domains into more cultivated regions, where it would form a truly royal dish. It is out of season now, nor can I find any of the seeds on the ground. I have had them growing in Cape Town, but they were destroyed by cold and insects. This time I shall take a few plants. t The plant is found in beds like the shesha. About five or six miles to the eastward of this place lies another fountain called Mazhulie, where people go to waylay * Dr. Brown thinks this must be a dwarf kind. t See iurther particulars of this choice fruit iu the author's former journey, vol. i. p. 284. 92 CHAPMAN'S TBAVELS. [chap. iv. elephants, &c. We had some idea of doing likewise, but, seeing how extremely shy the game were wherever they smelt the footsteps of man, we feared it would be only losing time. We occupied the skaarms here but one night, and lions only came, but they also departed without drinking when they discovered fresh traces of man. Elephants have been here very recently, and rhinoceroses and various other large game every night before our arrival, but nothing since we came. The elephants in this part seem now quite to understand what a " skaarm " (screen or ambush) is, and I observe at every watering-place we come to the old skaarms have gene- rally been destroyed by the elephants, who have scattered the logs about, and trampled the holes full of earth again. 21th June. — About six miles farther and we come to Tsamasetchie, a series of springs, lying, for the most part, in a sandy valley, or old river-bed, perhaps branching out of the Zambesi. The road to this place is again heavy sand, rather more so than the previous six miles, though the bush is not so dense. Our road lay against the western side of a sandy valley full of mateba (sucking waters), and here I discovered that I had been in this country before (from Chenamba), by recog- nising a vley at which I had slept, I did not know, however, at that time that these vleys were permanent waters. Elephants, and numerous rhinoceroses, buffaloes, and quaggas, had drunk the previous night : rebuilding a skaarm, which the elephants had demolished, I lay by the water, but only one rhinoceros drank, and he Avas out of my reach. At Tsamasetchie \a ater boiled 206 -,\,° ; therm. G0°. It is quite a delightiul ride for me through an unbroken forest of many miles of tall straight seringa trees, growing close to each other, like the forests of fir trees near Cape Town. They are just now changing into the "sere and CHAP. IV.] DEPREDATIONS BY WOLVES. 93 yellow leaf," but so briglit and rich are tlieir colours, that on a distant approach to a forest undergoing this transformation one may be easily led into mistalving their rich golden colour for masses of yellow blossoms. There have been times when I have not so much admired tlie density and exuberance of these forests, but that was when I had to cut a road through them before my wagons could pass. Here and there these forests are intersected with a large cluster of dark um- brageous trees called kuslie, under which the elephants love to stand during the heat of the day. Another magni- ficent tree is the fruit-bearing tree called sheshebie, a bau- hinia, bearing a scarlet bean, also mentioned before. I brought away about a quarter of a pound of wild cotton, which I found in abundance on one bush. It is rather a short staple, but is plentiful. My object in riding westward was to ascertain the nature of the country, as in case of sending back to meet my brother it would be desirable to do so by a shorter route. I think of cutting across here to Kamma-Kamma, and from there to the Botletlie. I found Avater five miles off, south-west. At about ten miles observed quagga and buffalo spoors going west, so that, if not a spring, there must still be rain-water. At midnight John fired a couple of shots, and after that wolves prowled about the wagons, and were constantly chasing and retreating from our dogs. At last they carried off my two beautiful roan antelope skins which I had taken so much pains with, intending them for the South African Museum. Then the lions commenced roaring close by, and a dog was carried away from where he lay coiled up with the Damara children, round our fire. He never even uttered a sound, and next morning we learned a lion had actually put his head into the skaarm, where the boys lay, but they did not fire, they said, for fear of offending me. On the 1st of July we left Tsamasetchie, and for the next 94 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap, iv three days continued our course, for the most part through a forest country, in which the kushe and seringa trees prevailed, finding rain-\\'ater in a large vley. Spoors of rhinoceroses, giraffes, and other animals were abundant, but I did not get a shot. I gathered some seed-pods of a kind of lotus, with an edible tuber, found in these vleys and mentioned before. It is enclosed in a kind of fibrous shell, and looks like a kidney potato, and is very delicious eating, I found here two very powerfully scented mints, used by the Bush ladies as a perfume ; and also observed a pretty parasitical plant, growing out of the decayed cavity of a large mopani tree, and hanging pendent in large drooping clusters of very wavy oblong leaves.* We have now come into some of those valleys with tall gTass wherein I formerly hunted the elephant. Some of the stalks of this grass are twelve feet high, and some still longer. The joints are two feet apart, but the stalks are not hollow. Tlie valleys here are very fertile, and I have no doubt all kinds of cereals might be grown to advantage without irrigation. A few of my goats have died from the effects of magow, or, rather, we killed most of them before it took effect. Two puppies died, evidently from having eaten of the flesh, and two more were lost ; probably they died in the bush from the same cause ; so that perhaps what I heard from the Bamaii- wato on this subject may not be without some foundation after all. From Tsamafupa, thus far, we have been evidently making a gradual ascent, but my boiler and thermometer have, by some mistake, been put out of reach for the present. In the afternoon we trekked on again, passing several fine vleys of clear water, after emerging from a large forest on a plain * Tliis plant, I have a slrong notion, is the antidote communicated to me by the Bushmen in former years for the tsetse in dogs, and which I desired so much should be tried on cattle. CHAP. IV.] WATERSHED OF ZAMBESI AND SALT LAKE. 95 wliicli I tliink is tho highest part of the country. The air has been quite fresh and bracing all day. I fancy this must be a very healthy place to lay by for a season. Here I found, to my agreeable surprise, some old friends, five or six trees of the protea (sugar-bush), about seven feet high, the same species that grows at the foot of Table Mountain, and which I have never met with anywhere else. I plucked a branch and a seed-pod, or cone, but the former was thrown away by my servant, who has his own peculiar ideas of the value of botanical specimens, &c. After passing this place we gradually descended through immense kushe forests, catching an occasional glimpse of blue and purple in the distant horizon, which indicated our approach to another and more hilly region. At length, emerging from another forest, we stood on the brink of a ridge 100 feet high or more, overlooking a tract of open country, dotted with here and there a bluff-like moun- tain in the distance, for the space of 70 or 80 miles in every direction before us. This spectacle, so novel to us, was perfectly thrilling. We have not seen such a wide extent of country at one glance for upwards of two years; and, what was more, we knew we were now descending towards the Zambesi, which our eyes would fain make us believe we couM see already through the blue haze, Hoating over and blending with the distant horizon. Away to our right, some 80 miles off, lay Shapatani, or Wankie's, and the long wished-for Daka was now, as it were, at our feet ; but we could not reach it before nightfall, and we encamped in a detached grove of mopani saplings. We had evidently crossed a continuation of the ridge which I formerly found existing to the east and north-east of the Great Salt Lake, observing that while the Shua river was coming from the north, the Quagga or Gwai river was flowing to that quarter of the compass. 96 CHAFMAN'S TliAVELS. [chap. iv. I have noticed latterly several covies of a kind of partridge or francoline hitherto quite new to me. It is smaller than either the grey or redwing of the colony, and differs, moreover, from them in the superior richness of its colour, a warm sienna, barred transversely ; belly, wings, and tail, dark brown, so far as I could distinguish ; and I fancy the bill and legs are orange. Several new birds came into view to- day, and others seemed to disappear altogether. 4//i July. — A trek of eight miles this morning, over an undulating country, brought us to Daka, where several little rivulets, uniting, flow eastward to the Luluesie, which again flows into the Zambesi at Molamo-a-tolo. It is remarkable that for a distance of upwards of 90 miles we liad not seen a living soul. No doubt this is in conse- quence of the " Great Lion," Moselikatze, having let his ter- rors be felt lately on this side of the country. Here, also, no human being was visible, and great were the conjectures as to what had been the fate of the Daka people. Some of us were searching tlie ashes of deserted stations for any vestiges of what might have happened. However, I soon set the point at rest by making a little target practice, which brought three Makalakas, black as night, but respectful in their behaviour, to our camp. Setting down their sandals and spears at a distance, they drew near, looking round with an air of disappointment. They said that, hearing guns, tliey thought we had killed game, but I informed them the guns were fired for the purpose of calling them to tell me the news. This, after a hearty laugh, they proceeded to give as follows : — " Elephants are plentiful to the eastward, and buffaloes also." " But what has become of the white people that were in here ?" — " Oh ! the white man is dead, and his wagon has returned, and Rapiet has also returned, they having both received assistance by a wagon from Sechelli's, which brought their oxen through the desert by way of Kamma-Ivamma, but (jHAP. IV.] AT DAK A. 97 Kapiet is still in the neighbourhood if you wish to see him, for we have just come from him." As this man is a Kuruman, and was formerly my servant, I sent John and Dokkie on pack- oxen to ask him to come over to me. He was staying about 20 miles off. Two other wagons were staying a few miles farther on, without danger of the " fly." From thence the owners were hunting elephants on foot, and have already killed six, and probably scared away the remainder. There are buffaloes hereabouts, but in the " fly " to the east of us. In the country which we have passed since crossing the ridge, a few quaggas, qualata, and tsesebis, are to be found, but the ground, like that I mentioned before, near the Madu- mumbela Mountains, is a loose, black, vegetable mould, so intersected with deep sun-cracks and fissures after every rain, that one can scarcely walk on foot, much less gallop a horse through it. The grysbok* of the Cape is an inhabitant of these regions ; also the reitbuck, but the specimens I saw or shot are much smaller than those in Natal. The country here reminds me very much of Natal, except as regards the absence of mimosas. I have not observed one, as far as I can remember, since the descent to these plains commenced. The only thorn-tree that I have as yet noticed is the magow, having a knotted bark, and the knots being pointed at the apex with a thorn. At Daka water boils at 208^° ; therm. 70°. Molefie, otherwise Eapiet, came on my invitation. He complained of having no oxen, and not being able to get home. I lent him ten, and gave him two cows. He has been locked in here for fifteen months, and has, he says, killed thirty-eight elephants, seven only of which were bulls. The elephant killed by him six years ago on the Teouge, and which attracted notice from the singularity of its having no less than * My friend Mr. Layard tells me those I sent him are quite new to him. They differ from the Caj)e species altogether in size and colour. VOL, II. H 98 CHAPMAN'S TEA VELS. [chap. iv. nine perfect tusks, was, lie tells me, a male. The tusks were ranged five on one side and four on the other. I purchased some of the tusks at the time, but they had been mixed up with many others, and when I heard of the peculiarity they could not be identified. I got Molefie to describe the afiair over again, and Baines made a sketch from his description. Arrived at Daka, our greatest difficulties still lie before us. In the first place we must visit the gi'eat falls of the Zambesi, and to effect this we have to trudge with our packs of chemicals and cameras on our backs, probably over 60 miles of country, unless we can find some intermediate spot to which we can take the wagons. Then, after all, we shall have to put our- selves in the power, only, I hope, for a short period, of that miserable little despot, Sekeletu, as I understand the best views are to be had from the north side of the river. From the " Falls " we must retrace our steps to Daka, and then convey our traps and tools, weighing some tons, as far as Sinamaui's, as I cannot find that it is possible to aj)proach the river with cattle any nearer than this place. I would willingly try what chance there is farther down, but at present there is great danger of being led astray, either through the Bushmen's real ignorance of the country, or the deceits they practise to detain hunters, and get abundant supplies of flesh. In this way two or three different parties have been locked up for nearly two years, having lost all their cattle. One of these I have just had the satisfaction of releasing and putting liim on his way home. Another, a party of Boers, left this a day or two before our arrival, after losing one of their com- pany, who died here ten days ago of fever. The party had been to the river, which fell several feet while tliey were upon it. I cannot help thinking that the delays causing our pro- tracted journey from the lake hitherto have been in a manner providential. The tribes which dwelt here under Wankie, a Banabya chief, and Dabatu, a Makalaka, with others who CHAP. IV,] NATIVE POLITICS. 99 have hitherto received strangers in a friendly way, and from whom I expected some assistance, were, about two months ago, entirely broken up and dispersed by the invasion of the Matabele warriors under Moselikatze. We have thus fortu- nately escaped witnessing many revolting scenes of bloodshed. The Matabele killed Dabatu, massacred hundreds of unfor- tunate people, and earned off all the children into caj^tivity. Molefie tells us we shall find them scattered all over the country ; in some places two or three women with forty or fifty men, in other parts two or three men, with twenty or thirty women ; but no children anywhere. These people, not possessing cattle, are plundered and murdered solely for the sake of their children, and the few trifles and trinkets which they have obtained from the white men. We hear nothing favourable from Sekeletu's side. The chief practises the same cunning trickery to entice traders across the river, and when once there, compels them to sell their goods on his own terms, or refuses to put them back on the south side : so that for those who have seen both, there is little to choose between the craft and rapacity of the Makololo and the open violence of the Matabele. Hitherto the wliite man has suffered most from the former. It now appeared that Sekeletu was not dead, as had been reported, but was still lingering under the ravages of his seemingly incurable disorder. I understand from some of Sechelli's people, who are here hunting, that some of that chief's men, with one wagon, had just passed on to Sekeletu's with the view of making a demand respecting the property of the unfortunate missionary families who died at Linyanti. Sechelli seems to have taken this affair into his own hands, and, we learn, demands full restitution of all the property, including wagon, oxen, clothing, &c., or two loads of ivory in lieu thereof; and threatens, in default, to let them hear of him. However praiseworthy Sechelli's zeal may be, I H 2 J 00 CHAPMAN'S TRAVELS. [chap. iv. fear his demands happen rather inopportunely for us and the object we have in view. In a few days, Baines and I intend to start, on foot, for the " Falls," where we hear Sekeletu has, since Dr. Livingstone's last visit, left some Makololo, who had been with the Doctor, and who can distinguish between Englishmen and Boers, and report them to the chief. Englislimen are to be received favourably ; Boers, to whom, for some reason or another, they have taken a great dislike, are to be put to death. Sechelli, who embraced Christianity, has given one of his daughters in marriage to Lechulatebe ; from which it ap- pears that old native customs cannot entirely be dispensed with. This makes Lechulatebe's seventh wife now living. That singular insect, the caddis-worm, abounds in this country in a variety of forms. They make their houses either of sticks, glued together, or of pebbles, sand, and prickly grasses. The inside is lined with a silky web. Wherever they go they drag their houses with them. The sort encased in prickly grasses are poisonous to cattle when eaten by them. ^th July. — As five men and three women were still absent after an ox, and the forty sick sheep and goats left behind at Tsamasetchie, I rode out in a north-east direction with a party of Makalakas, in order, in the first place, to shoot something for my dogs and my people, and, in the next, to see and learn more of the country before trusting our- selves nearer to the river, and perhaps getting into the " fly " when choosing a place to make a standing camp. I crossed the valley and river of Daka, and another stream running into it from the west, skirting a ridge which appears to run east and west. This ridge, which is high, and seems healthy, I at length crossed, and reached a wagon of Se- chelli's people, and encamped on the Chovve, another small CHAP. IV.] NATIVE FOOD-PLANTS. 101 running stream. The country everywhere is undulating and full of little streams, which remind me very much of the less mountainous parts of Natal. The Babylonian willow grows on the river-banks, and on the highest hills