Thebeesconveythepollenfromonetotheother。
ThehumaninhabitantsofthistractofcountryconsistofBushmenandBakalahariTheformerareprobablytheaboriginesofthesouthernportionofthecontinent，thelattertheremnantsofthefirstemigrationofBechuanasTheBushmenliveintheDesertfromchoice，theBakalaharifromcompulsion，andbothpossessanintenseloveoflibertyTheBushmenareexceptionsinlanguage，race，habits，andappearanceTheyaretheonlyrealnomadsinthecountry；
theynevercultivatethesoil，norrearanydomesticanimalsavewretcheddogsTheyaresointimatelyacquaintedwiththehabitsofthegamethattheyfollowthemintheirmigrations，andpreyuponthemfromplacetoplace，andthusproveascompleteacheckupontheirinordinateincreaseastheothercarnivora。
ThechiefsubsistenceoftheBushmenisthefleshofgame，butthatisekedoutbywhatthewomencollectofrootsandbeans，andfruitsoftheDesertThosewhoinhabitthehotsandyplainsoftheDesertpossessgenerallythin，wiryforms，capableofgreatexertionandofsevereprivationsManyareoflowstature，thoughnotdwarfish；thespecimensbroughttoEuropehavebeenselected，likecostermongers’dogs，onaccountoftheirextremeugliness；
consequently，EnglishideasofthewholetribeareformedinthesamewayasiftheugliestspecimensoftheEnglishwereexhibitedinAfricaascharacteristicoftheentireBritishnationThattheyarelikebaboonsisinsomedegreetrue，justastheseandothersimiaeareinsomepointsfrightfullyhuman。
TheBakalahariaretraditionallyreportedtobetheoldestoftheBechuanatribes，andtheyaresaidtohavepossessedenormousherdsofthelargehornedcattlementionedbyBruce，untiltheyweredespoiledofthemanddrivenintotheDesertbyafreshmigrationoftheirownnationLivingeversinceonthesameplainswiththeBushmen，subjectedtothesameinfluencesofclimate，enduringthesamethirst，andsubsistingonsimilarfoodforcenturies，theyseemtosupplyastandingproofthatlocalityisnotalwayssufficientofitselftoaccountfordifferenceinracesTheBakalahariretaininundyingvigortheBechuanaloveforagricultureanddomesticanimals。
Theyhoetheirgardensannually，thoughoftenalltheycanhopeforisasupplyofmelonsandpumpkinsAndtheycarefullyrearsmallherdsofgoats，thoughIhaveseenthemliftwaterforthemoutofsmallwellswithabitofostrichegg-shell，orbyspoonfuls。
TheygenerallyattachthemselvestoinfluentialmeninthedifferentBechuanatribeslivingadjacenttotheirdeserthome，inordertoobtainsuppliesofspears，knives，tobacco，anddogs，inexchangefortheskinsoftheanimalstheymaykillThesearesmallcarnivoraofthefelinespecies，includingtwospeciesofjackal，thedarkandthegolden；
theformer，“motlose“`Megalotiscapensis’or`Capefennec’，hasthewarmestfurthecountryyields；thelatter，“pukuye“`Canismesomelas’and`Caureus’，isveryhandsomewhenmadeintotheskinmantlecalledkarossNextinvaluefollowthe“tsipa“orsmallocelot`Felisnigripes’，the“tuane“orlynx，thewildcat，thespottedcat，andothersmallanimals。
Greatnumbersof`puti’`duiker’and`puruhuru’`steinbuck’skinsaregottoo，besidesthoseoflions，leopards，panthers，andhyaenasDuringthetimeIwasintheBechuanacountry，betweentwentyandthirtythousandskinsweremadeupintokarosses；
partofthemwerewornbytheinhabitants，andpartsoldtotraders：
many，Ibelieve，findtheirwaytoChinaTheBakwainsboughttobaccofromtheeasterntribes，thenpurchasedskinswithitfromtheBakalahari，tannedthem，andsewedthemintokarosses，thenwentsouthtopurchaseheifer-calveswiththem，cowsbeingthehighestformofrichesknown，asIhaveoftennoticedfromtheirasking“ifQueenVictoriahadmanycows。”
Thecompacttheyenterintoismutuallybeneficial，butinjusticeandwrongareoftenperpetratedbyonetribeofBechuanasgoingamongtheBakalahariofanothertribe，andcompellingthemtodeliveruptheskinswhichtheymaybekeepingfortheirfriendsTheyareatimidrace，andinbodilydevelopmentoftenresembletheaboriginesofAustralia。
Theyhavethinlegsandarms，andlarge，protrudingabdomens，causedbythecoarse，indigestiblefoodtheyeatTheirchildren’seyeslacklustreIneversawthematplayAfewBechuanasmaygointoavillageofBakalahari，anddomineeroverthewholewithimpunity；
butwhenthesesameadventurersmeettheBushmen，theyarefaintochangetheirmannerstofawningsycophancy；theyknowthat，iftherequestfortobaccoisrefused，thesefreesonsoftheDesertmaysettlethepointastoitspossessionbyapoisonedarrow。
ThedreadofvisitsfromBechuanasofstrangetribescausestheBakalaharitochoosetheirresidencesfarfromwater；andtheynotunfrequentlyhidetheirsuppliesbyfillingthepitswithsandandmakingafireoverthespotWhentheywishtodrawwaterforuse，thewomencomewithtwentyorthirtyoftheirwater-vesselsinabagornetontheirbacks。
Thesewater-vesselsconsistofostrichegg-shells，withaholeintheendofeach，suchaswouldadmitone’sfinger。
Thewomentieabunchofgrasstooneendofareedabouttwofeetlong，andinsertitinaholedugasdeepasthearmwillreach；
thenramdownthewetsandfirmlyrounditApplyingthemouthtothefreeendofthereed，theyformavacuuminthegrassbeneath，inwhichthewatercollects，andinashorttimerisesintothemouth。
Anegg-shellisplacedonthegroundalongsidethereed，someinchesbelowthemouthofthesuckerAstrawguidesthewaterintotheholeofthevessel，asshedrawsmouthfulaftermouthfulfrombelow。
Thewaterismadetopassalongtheoutside，notthroughthestraw。
Ifanyonewillattempttosquirtwaterintoabottleplacedsomedistancebelowhismouth，hewillsoonperceivethewisdomoftheBushwoman’scontrivanceforgivingthestreamdirectionbymeansofastrawThewholestockofwateristhuspassedthroughthewoman’smouthasapump，and，whentakenhome，iscarefullyburiedIhavecomeintovillageswhere，hadweactedadomineeringpart，andrummagedeveryhut，weshouldhavefoundnothing；
butbysittingdownquietly，andwaitingwithpatienceuntilthevillagerswereledtoformafavorableopinionofus，awomanwouldbringoutashellfulofthepreciousfluidfromIknownotwhere。
Theso-calledDesert，itmaybeobserved，isbynomeansauselesstractofcountryBesidessupportingmultitudesofbothsmallandlargeanimals，itsendssomethingtothemarketoftheworld，andhasprovedarefugetomanyafugitivetribetotheBakalaharifirst，andtotheotherBechuanasinturnastheirlandswereoverrunbythetribeoftrueCaffres，calledMatebeleTheBakwains，theBangwaketze，andtheBamangwatoallfledthither；andtheMatebelemarauders，whocamefromthewell-wateredeast，perishedbyhundredsintheirattemptstofollowthemOneoftheBangwaketzechiefs，morewilythantherest，sentfalseguidestoleadthemonatrackwhere，forhundredsofmiles，notadropofwatercouldbefound，andtheyperishedinconsequenceManyBakwainsperishedtoo。
Theiroldmen，whocouldhavetoldusancientstories，perishedintheseflightsAnintelligentMokwainrelatedtomehowtheBushmeneffectuallybalkedapartyofhistribewhichlightedontheirvillageinastateofburningthirst。
Believing，ashesaid，thatnothinghumancouldsubsistwithoutwater，theydemandedsome，butwerecoollytoldbytheseBushmenthattheyhadnone，andneverdrankanyExpectingtofindthemout，theyresolvedtowatchthemnightanddayTheyperseveredforsomedays，thinkingthatatlastthewatermustcomeforth；but，notwithstandingtheirwatchfulness，keptalivebymosttormentingthirst，theBakwainswerecompelledtoexclaim，“Yak！yak！thesearenotmen；letusgo。”ProbablytheBushmenhadbeensubsistingonastorehiddenunderground，whichhadeludedthevigilanceoftheirvisitors。
Chapter3。
DeparturefromKolobeng，1stJune，1849CompanionsOurRoute
AbundanceofGrassSerotli，aFountainintheDesert
ModeofdiggingWellsTheElandAnimalsoftheDesert
TheHyaenaTheChiefSekomiDangersThewanderingGuide
CrossPurposesSlowProgressWantofWaterCaptureofaBushwomanTheSalt-panatNchokotsaTheMirageReachtheRiverZouga
TheQuakersofAfricaDiscoveryofLakeNgami，1stAugust，1849
ItsExtentSmallDepthofWaterPositionastheReservoirofagreatRiverSystemTheBamangwatoandtheirChief
DesiretovisitSebituane，theChiefoftheMakololo
RefusalofLechulatebetofurnishuswithGuides
ResolvetoreturntotheCapeTheBanksoftheZougaPitfalls
TreesoftheDistrictElephantsNewSpeciesofAntelope
FishintheZouga。
Suchwasthedesertwhichwewerenowpreparingtocross
aregionformerlyofterrortotheBechuanasfromthenumbersofserpentswhichinfesteditandfedonthedifferentkindsofmice，andfromtheintensethirstwhichthesepeopleoftenenduredwhentheirwater-vesselswereinsufficientforthedistancestobetraveledoverbeforereachingthewells。
Justbeforethearrivalofmycompanions，apartyofthepeopleofthelakecametoKolobeng，statingthattheyweresentbyLechulatebe，thechief，toaskmetovisitthatcountryTheybroughtsuchflamingaccountsofthequantitiesofivorytobefoundtherecattle-pensmadeofelephants’tusksofenormoussize，&c。，thattheguidesoftheBakwainswerequiteaseagertosucceedinreachingthelakeasanyoneofuscoulddesireThiswasfortunate，asweknewthewaythestrangershadcomewasimpassableforwagons。
MessrsOswellandMurraycameattheendofMay，andweallmadeafairstartfortheunknownregiononthe1stofJune，1849Proceedingnorthward，andpassingthrougharangeoftree-coveredhillstoShokuane，formerlytheresidenceoftheBakwains，wesoonafterenteredonthehighroadtotheBamangwato，whichliesgenerallyinthebedofanancientriverorwadythatmustformerlyhaveflowedNtoS。
Theadjacentcountryisperfectlyflat，butcoveredwithopenforestandbush，withabundanceofgrass；thetreesgenerallyareakindofacaciacalled“Monato“，whichappearsalittletothesouthofthisregion，andiscommonasfarasAngolaAlargecaterpillar，called“Nato“，feedsbynightontheleavesofthesetrees，andcomesdownbydaytoburyitselfattherootinthesand，inordertoescapethepiercingraysofthesunThepeopledigforitthere，andarefondofitwhenroasted，onaccountofitspleasantvegetabletaste。
Whenabouttopassintothechrysalisstate，itburiesitselfinthesoil，andissometimessoughtforasfoodeventhenIfleftundisturbed，itcomesforthasabeautifulbutterfly：thetransmutationwassometimesemployedbymewithgoodeffectwhenspeakingwiththenatives，asanillustrationofourowngreatchangeandresurrection。
Thesoilissandy，andtherearehereandthereindicationsthatatspotswhichnowaffordnowaterwhatevertherewereformerlywellsandcattlestations。
Boatlanama，ournextstation，isalovelyspotintheotherwisedryregion。
Thewellsfromwhichwehadtoliftoutthewaterforourcattlearedeep，buttheywerewellfilledAfewvillagesofBakalahariwerefoundnearthem，andgreatnumbersofpallahs，springbucks，Guinea-fowl，andsmallmonkeys。
LopepecamenextThisplaceaffordedanotherproofofthedesiccationofthecountryThefirsttimeIpassedit，Lopepewasalargepoolwithastreamflowingoutofittothesouth；
nowitwaswithdifficultywecouldgetourcattlewateredbydiggingdowninthebottomofawell。
AtMashuewherewefoundanever-failingsupplyofpurewaterinasandstonerockyhollowwelefttheroadtotheBamangwatohills，andstruckawaytothenorthintotheDesertHavingwateredthecattleatawellcalledLobotani，aboutN。WofBamangwato，wenextproceededtoarealKalaharifountain，calledSerotliThecountryaroundiscoveredwithbushesandtreesofakindofleguminosae，withlilacflowers。
Thesoilissoftwhitesand，verytryingtothestrengthoftheoxen，asthewheelssinkintoitoverthefelloesanddragheavilyAtSerotliwefoundonlyafewhollowslikethosemadebythebuffaloandrhinoceroswhentheyrollthemselvesinthemudInacornerofoneofthesethereappearedwater，whichwouldhavebeenquicklylappedupbyourdogs，hadwenotdriventhemawayAndyetthiswasalltheapparentsupplyforsomeeightyoxen，twentyhorses，andaboutascoreofmen。