Thepresenceofthesematlametlointhedesertinatimeofdroughtwasratheradisappointment，forIhadbeenaccustomedtosupposethatthenotewasalwaysemittedbythemwhentheywerechin-deepinwater。
Theirmusicwasalwaysregardedinotherspotsasthemostpleasantsoundthatmettheearaftercrossingportionsofthethirstydesert；
andIcouldfullyappreciatethesympathyfortheseanimalsshownbyAesop，himselfanAfrican，inhisfableofthe“BoysandtheFrogs“。
ItisremarkablethatattemptshavenotbeenmadetoanyextenttodomesticatesomeofthenobleandusefulcreaturesofAfricainEngland。
Theeland，whichisthemostmagnificentofallantelopes，wouldgracetheparksofournobilitymorethandeerThisanimal，fromtheexcellenceofitsflesh，wouldbeappropriatetoourowncountry；
andasthereisalsoasplendidesculentfrognearlyaslargeasachicken，itwouldnodoubttendtoperpetuatethepresentallianceifwemadeagiftofthattoFrance。
Thescavengerbeetleisoneofthemostusefulofallinsects，asiteffectuallyanswerstheobjectindicatedbythename。
Wheretheyabound，asatKuruman，thevillagesaresweetandclean，fornosoonerareanimalexcretionsdroppedthan，attractedbythescent，thescavengersareheardcomingboomingupthewindTheyrollawaythedroppingsofcattleatonce，inroundpiecesoftenaslargeasbilliard-balls；andwhentheyreachaplaceproperbyitssoftnessforthedepositoftheireggsandthesafetyoftheiryoung，theydigthesoiloutfrombeneaththeballtilltheyhavequiteletitdownandcoveredit：theythenlaytheireggswithinthemass。
Whilethelarvaearegrowing，theydevourtheinsideoftheballbeforecomingabovegroundtobegintheworldforthemselves。
ThebeetleswiththeirgiganticballslooklikeAtlaswiththeworldonhisback；onlytheygobackward，and，withtheirheadsdown，pushwiththehindlegs，asifaboyshouldrollasnow-ballwithhislegswhilestandingonhisheadAswerecommendtheelandtoJohnBull，andthegiganticfrogtoFrance，wecanconfidentlyrecommendthisbeetletothedirtyItaliantownsandourownSanitaryCommissioners。
IntryingtobenefitthetribeslivingundertheBoersoftheCashanMountains，ItwiceperformedajourneyofaboutthreehundredmilestotheeastwardofKolobengSechelehadbecomesoobnoxioustotheBoersthat，thoughanxioustoaccompanymeinmyjourney，hedarednottrusthimselfamongthemThisdidnotarisefromthecrimeofcattle-stealing；forthatcrime，socommonamongtheCaffres，wasneverchargedagainsthistribe，nor，indeed，againstanyBechuanatribe。
Itis，infact，unknowninthecountry，exceptduringactualwarfare。
HisindependenceandloveoftheEnglishwerehisonlyfaults。
Inmylastjourneythere，ofabouttwohundredmiles，onpartingattheRiverMarikwehegavemetwoservants，“tobe。”ashesaid，“hisarmstoserveme。”andexpressedregretthathecouldnotcomehimself“Supposewewentnorth。”Isaid，“wouldyoucome？”
HethentoldmethestoryofSebituanehavingsavedhislife，andexpatiatedonthefar-famedgenerosityofthatreallygreatman。
ThiswasthefirsttimeIhadthoughtofcrossingtheDeserttoLakeNgami。
TheconductoftheBoers，who，aswillberemembered，hadsentaletterdesignedtoprocuremyremovaloutofthecountry，andtheirwell-knownsettledpolicywhichIhavealreadydescribed，becamemorefullydevelopedonthisthanonanyformeroccasion。
WhenIspoketoMrHendrickPotgeiterofthedangerofhinderingtheGospelofChristamongthesepoorsavages，hebecamegreatlyexcited，andcalledoneofhisfollowerstoanswermeHethreatenedtoattackanytribethatmightreceiveanativeteacher，yethepromisedtousehisinfluencetopreventthoseunderhimfromthrowingobstaclesinourwayIcouldperceiveplainlythatnothingmorecouldbedoneinthatdirection，soIcommencedcollectingalltheinformationIcouldaboutthedesert，withtheintentionofcrossingit，ifpossible。
Sekomi，thechiefoftheBamangwato，wasacquaintedwitharoutewhichhekeptcarefullytohimself，becausetheLakecountryaboundedinivory，andhedrewlargequantitiesthenceperiodicallyatbutsmallcosttohimself。
Sechele，whovaluedhighlyeverythingEuropean，andwasalwaysfullyalivetohisowninterest，wasnaturallyanxioustogetashareofthatinvitingfieldHewasmostanxioustovisitSebituanetoo，partly，perhaps，fromawishtoshowoffhisnewacquirements，butchiefly，Ibelieve，fromhavingveryexaltedideasofthebenefitshewouldderivefromtheliberalityofthatrenownedchieftain。
InageandfamilySecheleistheelderandsuperiorofSekomi；
forwhentheoriginaltribebrokeupintoBamangwato，Bangwaketse，andBakwains，theBakwainsretainedthehereditarychieftainship；
sotheirchief，Sechele，possessescertainadvantagesoverSekomi，thechiefoftheBamangwatoIfthetwoweretravelingorhuntingtogether，Sechelewouldtake，byright，theheadsofthegameshotbySekomi。
Thereareseveralvestiges，besides，ofveryancientpartitionsandlordshipsoftribesTheelderbrotherofSechele’sfather，becomingblind，gaveoverthechieftainshiptoSechele’sfather。
ThedescendantsofthismanpaynotributetoSechele，thoughheistheactualruler，andsuperiortotheheadofthatfamily；
andSechele，whileineveryotherrespectsupreme，callshimKosi，orChief。
TheothertribeswillnotbegintoeattheearlypumpkinsofanewcropuntiltheyhearthattheBahurutsehave“bittenit“，andthereisapublicceremonyontheoccasionthesonofthechiefbeingthefirsttotasteofthenewharvest。
Sechele，bymyadvice，sentmentoSekomi，askingleaveformetopassalonghispath，accompanyingtherequestwiththepresentofanox。
Sekomi’smother，whopossessesgreatinfluenceoverhim，refusedpermission，becauseshehadnotbeenpropitiatedThisproducedafreshmessage；
andthemosthonorablemanintheBakwaintribe，nexttoSechele，wassentwithanoxforbothSekomiandhismotherThis，too，wasmetbyrefusal。
Itwassaid，“TheMatebele，themortalenemiesoftheBechuanas，areinthedirectionofthelake，and，shouldtheykillthewhiteman，weshallincurgreatblamefromallhisnation。”
TheexactpositionoftheLakeNgamihad，forhalfacenturyatleast，beencorrectlypointedoutbythenatives，whohadvisiteditwhenrainsweremorecopiousintheDesertthaninmorerecenttimes，andmanyattemptshadbeenmadetoreachitbypassingthroughtheDesertinthedirectionindicated；butitwasfoundimpossible，evenforGriquas，who，havingsomeBushmanbloodinthem，maybesupposedmorecapableofenduringthirstthanEuropeans。
Itwasclear，then，thatouronlychanceofsuccesswasbygoinground，insteadofthrough，theDesertThebesttimefortheattemptwouldhavebeenabouttheendoftherainyseason，inMarchorApril，forthenweshouldhavebeenlikelytomeetwithpoolsofrain-water，whichalwaysdryupduringtherainlesswinterIcommunicatedmyintentiontoanAfricantraveler，ColonelSteele，thenaid-de-camptotheMarquisofTweedaleatMadras，andhemadeitknowntotwoothergentlemen，whosefriendshipwehadgainedduringtheirAfricantravel，namely，MajorVardonandMrOswellAllofthesegentlemenweresoenamoredwithAfricanhuntingandAfricandiscoverythatthetwoformermusthaveenviedthelatterhisgoodfortuneinbeingabletoleaveIndiatoundertakeafreshthepleasuresandpainsofdesertlife。
IbelieveMrOswellcamefromhishighpositionataveryconsiderablepecuniarysacrifice，andwithnootherendinviewbuttoextendtheboundariesofgeographicalknowledgeBeforeIknewofhiscoming，IhadarrangedthatthepaymentfortheguidesfurnishedbySecheleshouldbetheloanofmywagon，tobringbackwhateverivoryhemightobtainfromthechiefatthelakeWhen，atlast，MrOswellcame，bringingMrMurraywithhim，heundertooktodefraytheentireexpensesoftheguides，andfullyexecutedhisgenerousintention。
Sechelehimselfwouldhavecomewithus，but，fearingthatthemuch-talked-ofassaultoftheBoersmighttakeplaceduringourabsence，andblamebeattachedtomefortakinghimaway，IdissuadedhimagainstitbysayingthatheknewMrOswell“wouldbeasdeterminedashimselftogetthroughtheDesert。”
Beforenarratingtheincidentsofthisjourney，ImaygivesomeaccountofthegreatKalahariDesert，inorderthatthereadermayunderstandinsomedegreethenatureofthedifficultieswehadtoencounter。
ThespacefromtheOrangeRiverinthesouth，lat29Degrees，toLakeNgamiinthenorth，andfromabout24Degreeseastlong。
tonearthewestcoast，hasbeencalledadesertsimplybecauseitcontainsnorunningwater，andverylittlewaterinwells。
Itisbynomeansdestituteofvegetationandinhabitants，foritiscoveredwithgrassandagreatvarietyofcreepingplants；
besideswhichtherearelargepatchesofbushes，andeventrees。
Itisremarkablyflat，butinteresectedindifferentpartsbythebedsofancientrivers；andprodigiousherdsofcertainantelopes，whichrequirelittleornowater，roamoverthetracklessplains。
Theinhabitants，BushmenandBakalahari，preyonthegameandonthecountlessrodentiaandsmallspeciesofthefelineracewhichsubsistontheseIngeneral，thesoilislight-coloredsoftsand，nearlypuresilicaThebedsoftheancientriverscontainmuchalluvialsoil；andasthatisbakedhardbytheburningsun，rain-waterstandsinpoolsinsomeofthemforseveralmonthsintheyear。
Thequantityofgrasswhichgrowsonthisremarkableregionisastonishing，eventothosewhoarefamiliarwithIndiaItusuallyrisesintuftswithbarespacesbetween，ortheintervalsareoccupiedbycreepingplants，which，havingtheirrootsburiedfarbeneaththesoil，feellittletheeffectsofthescorchingsunThenumberofthesewhichhavetuberousrootsisverygreat；andtheirstructureisintendedtosupplynutrimentandmoisture，when，duringthelongdroughts，theycanbeobtainednowhereelseHerewehaveanexampleofaplant，notgenerallytuber-bearing，becomingsoundercircumstanceswherethatappendageisnecessarytoactasareservoirforpreservingitslife；
andthesamethingoccursinAngolatoaspeciesofgrape-bearingvine，whichissofurnishedforthesamepurposeTheplanttowhichIatpresentreferisoneofthecucurbitaceae，whichbearsasmall，scarlet-colored，eatablecucumberAnotherplant，namedLeroshua，isablessingtotheinhabitantsoftheDesertWeseeasmallplantwithlinearleaves，andastalknotthickerthanacrow’squill；
ondiggingdownafootoreighteeninchesbeneath，wecometoatuber，oftenaslargeastheheadofayoungchild；whentherindisremoved，wefindittobeamassofcellulartissue，filledwithfluidmuchlikethatinayoungturnipOwingtothedepthbeneaththesoilatwhichitisfound，itisgenerallydeliciouslycoolandrefreshing。
Anotherkind，namedMokuri，isseeninotherpartsofthecountry，wherelong-continuedheatparchesthesoilThisplantisanherbaceouscreeper，anddepositsundergroundanumberoftubers，someaslargeasaman’shead，atspotsinacircleayardormore，horizontally，fromthestemThenativesstrikethegroundonthecircumferenceofthecirclewithstones，till，byhearingadifferenceofsound，theyknowthewater-bearingtubertobebeneath。
Theythendigdownafootorso，andfindit。
ButthemostsurprisingplantoftheDesertisthe“KengweorKeme“
`Cucumiscaffer’，thewatermelonInyearswhenmorethantheusualquantityofrainfalls，vasttractsofthecountryareliterallycoveredwiththesemelons；thiswasthecaseannuallywhenthefallofrainwasgreaterthanitisnow，andtheBakwainssenttradingpartieseveryyeartothelakeIthappenscommonlyonceeverytenorelevenyears，andforthelastthreetimesitsoccurrencehascoincidedwithanextraordinarilywetseasonThenanimalsofeverysortandname，includingman，rejoiceintherichsupplyTheelephant，truelordoftheforest，revelsinthisfruit，andsodothedifferentspeciesofrhinoceros，althoughnaturallysodiverseintheirchoiceofpastureThevariouskindsofantelopesfeedonthemwithequalavidity，andlions，hyaenas，jackals，andmice，allseemtoknowandappreciatethecommonblessingThesemelonsarenot，however，allofthemeatable；somearesweet，andotherssobitterthatthewholearenamedbytheBoersthe“bitterwatermelon“。
Thenativesselectthembystrikingonemelonafteranotherwithahatchet，andapplyingthetonguetothegashesTheythusreadilydistinguishbetweenthebitterandsweetThebitteraredeleterious，butthesweetarequitewholesomeThispeculiarityofonespeciesofplantbearingbothsweetandbitterfruitsoccursalsoinared，eatablecucumber，oftenmetwithinthecountryItisaboutfourincheslong，andaboutaninchandahalfindiameterItisofabrightscarletcolorwhenripeManyarebitter，othersquitesweetEvenmelonsinagardenmaybemadebitterbyafewbitterkengweinthevicinity。