weretheusualexpressionsweheardbeforewesawhim。
Hewasmuchpleasedwiththeproofofconfidencewehadshowninbringingourchildren，andpromisedtotakeustoseehiscountry，sothatwemightchooseapartinwhichtolocateourselvesOurplanwas，thatIshouldremaininthepursuitofmyobjectsasamissionary，whileMrOswellexploredtheZambesitotheeastPoorSebituane，however，justafterrealizingwhathehadsolongardentlydesired，fellsickofinflammationofthelungs，whichoriginatedinandextendedfromanoldwoundgotatMelitaIsawhisdanger，but，beingastranger，Ifearedtotreathimmedically，lest，intheeventofhisdeath，IshouldbeblamedbyhispeopleImentionedthistooneofhisdoctors，whosaid，“Yourfearisprudentandwise；thispeoplewouldblameyou。”
Hehadbeencuredofthiscomplaint，duringtheyearbefore，bytheBarotsemakingalargenumberoffreeincisionsinthechest。
TheMakololodoctors，ontheotherhand，nowscarcelycuttheskin。
OntheSundayafternooninwhichhedied，whenourusualreligiousservicewasover，IvisitedhimwithmylittleboyRobert“Comenear。”
saidSebituane，“andseeifIamanylongeramanIamdone。”
Hewasthussensibleofthedangerousnatureofhisdisease，soIventuredtoassent，andaddedasinglesentenceregardinghopeafterdeath。
“Whydoyouspeakofdeath？”saidoneofarelayoffreshdoctors；
“Sebituanewillneverdie。”IfIhadpersisted，theimpressionwouldhavebeenproducedthatbyspeakingaboutitIwishedhimtodie。
Aftersittingwithhimsometime，andcommendinghimtothemercyofGod，Irosetodepart，whenthedyingchieftain，raisinghimselfupalittlefromhisproneposition，calledaservant，andsaid，“TakeRoberttoMaunkuoneofhiswives，andtellhertogivehimsomemilk。”
ThesewerethelastwordsofSebituane。
Wewerenotinformedofhisdeathuntilthenextday。
TheburialofaBechuanachieftakesplaceinhiscattle-pen，andallthecattlearedrivenforanhourortwoaroundandoverthegrave，sothatitmaybequiteobliteratedWewentandspoketothepeople，advisingthemtokeeptogetherandsupporttheheirTheytookthiskindly；
andinturntoldusnottobealarmed，fortheywouldnotthinkofascribingthedeathoftheirchieftous；thatSebituanehadjustgonethewayofhisfathers；andthoughthefatherhadgone，hehadleftchildren，andtheyhopedthatwewouldbeasfriendlytohischildrenasweintendedtohavebeentohimself。
HewasdecidedlythebestspecimenofanativechiefIevermet。
Ineverfeltsomuchgrievedbythelossofablackmanbefore；
anditwasimpossiblenottofollowhiminthoughtintotheworldofwhichhehadjustheardbeforehewascalledaway，andtorealizesomewhatofthefeelingsofthosewhoprayforthedead。
Thedeep，darkquestionofwhatistobecomeofsuchashe，must，however，beleftwherewefindit，believingthat，assuredly，the“Judgeofalltheearthwilldoright。”
AtSebituane’sdeaththechieftainshipdevolved，asherfatherintended，onadaughternamedMa-mochisaneHehadpromisedtoshowushiscountryandtoselectasuitablelocalityforourresidenceWehadnowtolooktothedaughter，whowaslivingtwelvedaystothenorth，atNaliele。
Wewereobliged，therefore，toremainuntilamessagecamefromher；
andwhenitdid，shegaveusperfectlibertytovisitanypartofthecountrywechoseMrOswellandIthenproceededonehundredandthirtymilestothenortheast，toSesheke；andintheendofJune，1851，wewererewardedbythediscoveryoftheZambesi，inthecentreofthecontinent。
Thiswasamostimportantpoint，forthatriverwasnotpreviouslyknowntoexistthereatallThePortuguesemapsallrepresentitasrisingfartotheeastofwherewenowwere；andifeveranythinglikeachainoftradingstationshadexistedacrossthecountrybetweenthelatitudes12Degand18Degsouth，thismagnificentportionoftherivermusthavebeenknownbeforeWesawitattheendofthedryseason，atthetimewhentheriverisaboutatitslowest，andyettherewasabreadthoffromthreehundredtosixhundredyardsofdeepflowingwater。
MrOswellsaidhehadneverseensuchafineriver，eveninIndia。
Attheperiodofitsannualinundationitrisesfullytwentyfeetinperpendicularheight，andfloodsfifteenortwentymilesoflandsadjacenttoitsbanks。
ThecountryoverwhichwehadtraveledfromtheChobewasperfectlyflat，exceptwheretherewerelargeant-hills，ortheremainsofformerones，whichhadleftmoundsafewfeethighThesearegenerallycoveredwithwilddate-treesandpalmyras，andinsomepartsthereareforestsofmimosaeandmopaneOccasionallythecountrybetweentheChobeandZambesiisflooded，andtherearelargepatchesofswampslyingneartheChobeoronitsbanks。
TheMakololowerelivingamongtheseswampsforthesakeoftheprotectionthedeepreedyriversaffordedthemagainsttheirenemies。
Now，inreferencetoasuitablelocalityforasettlementformyself，IcouldnotconscientiouslyaskthemtoabandontheirdefensesformyconveniencealoneThehealthydistrictsweredefenseless，andthesafelocalitiesweresodeleterioustohumanlife，thattheoriginalBasutoshadnearlyallbeencutoffbythefever；
Ithereforefearedtosubjectmyfamilytothescourge。
Asweweretheveryfirstwhitementheinhabitantshadeverseen，wewerevisitedbyprodigiousnumbersAmongthefirstwhocametoseeuswasagentlemanwhoappearedinagaudydressing-gownofprintedcalico。
ManyoftheMakololo，besides，hadgarmentsofblue，green，andredbaize，andalsoofprintedcottons；oninquiry，welearnedthatthesehadbeenpurchased，inexchangeforboys，fromatribecalledMambari，whichissituatednearBiheThistribebegantheslave-tradewithSebituaneonlyin1850，andbutfortheunwillingnessofLechulatebetoallowustopass，weshouldhavebeenwithSebituaneintimetohavepreventeditfromcommencingatallTheMambarivisitedinancienttimesthechiefoftheBarotse，whomSebituaneconquered，andherefusedtoallowanyonetosellachildTheynevercamebackagaintill1850；
andastheyhadanumberofoldPortuguesegunsmarked“LegitimodeBraga“，whichSebituanethoughtwouldbeexcellentinanyfutureinvasionofMatebele，heofferedtopurchasethemwithcattleorivory，buttheMambarirefusedeverythingexceptboysaboutfourteenyearsofage。
TheMakololodeclaretheyneverheardofpeoplebeingboughtandsoldtillthen，anddislikedit，butthedesiretopossessthegunsprevailed，andeightoldgunswereexchangedforasmanyboys；thesewerenottheirownchildren，butcaptivesoftheblackracestheyhadconquered。
IhaveneverknowninAfricaaninstanceofaparentsellinghisownoffspringTheMakololowereafterwardincitedtomakeaforayagainstsometribestotheeastward；theMambaribargainingtousetheirgunsintheattackforthecaptivestheymighttake，andtheMakololoweretohaveallthecattleTheywentoffwithatleasttwohundredslavesthatyearDuringthisforaytheMakololometsomeArabsfromZanzibar，whopresentedthemwiththreeEnglishmuskets，andinreturnreceivedaboutthirtyoftheircaptives。
Intalkingwithmycompanionsoverthesematters，theideawassuggestedthat，iftheslave-marketweresuppliedwitharticlesofEuropeanmanufacturebylegitimatecommerce，thetradeinslaveswouldbecomeimpossible。
Itseemedmorefeasibletogivethegoods，forwhichthepeoplenowpartwiththeirservants，inexchangeforivoryandotherproductsofthecountry，andthuspreventthetradeatthebeginning，thantotrytoputastoptoitatanyofthesubsequentstepsThiscouldonlybeeffectedbyestablishingahighwayfromthecoastintothecentreofthecountry。
AstherewasnohopeoftheBoersallowingthepeaceableinstructionofthenativesatKolobeng，IatonceresolvedtosavemyfamilyfromexposuretothisunhealthyregionbysendingthemtoEngland，andtoreturnalone，withaviewtoexploringthecountryinsearchofahealthydistrictthatmightproveacentreofcivilization，andopenuptheinteriorbyapathtoeithertheeastorwestcoast。
ThisresolutionledmedowntotheCapeinApril，1852，beingthefirsttimeduringelevenyearsthatIhadvisitedthescenesofcivilizationOurroutetoCapeTownledustopassthroughthecentreofthecolonyduringthetwentiethmonthofaCaffrewar；
andifthosewhoperiodicallypayenormoussumsfortheseingloriousaffairswishtoknowhowourlittleunprotectedpartycouldquietlytravelthroughtheheartofthecolonytothecapitalwithaslittlesenseorsignofdangerasifwehadbeeninEngland，theymustengagea“`Times’SpecialCorrespondent“forthenextoutbreaktoexplainwherethemoneygoes，andwhohavebeenbenefitedbythebloodandtreasureexpended。
Havingplacedmyfamilyonboardahomeward-boundship，andpromisedtorejointhemintwoyears，weparted，for，asitsubsequentlyproved，nearlyfiveyearsTheDirectorsoftheLondonMissionarySocietysignifiedtheircordialapprovalofmyprojectbyleavingthematterentirelytomyowndiscretion；andIhavemuchpleasureinacknowledgingmyobligationstothegentlemencomposingthatbodyforalwaysactinginanenlightenedspirit，andwithasmuchliberalityastheirconstitutionwouldallow。
IhavethelikepleasureinconfessingmythankfulnesstotheAstronomerRoyalattheCape，ThomasMaclear，Esq。，forenablingmetorecallthelittleastronomicalknowledgewhichconstantmanuallaborandtheengrossingnatureofmissionarydutieshadeffacedfrommymemory，andinaddingmuchthatIdidnotknowbeforeThepromisehemadeonparting，thathewouldexamineandcorrectallmyobservations，hadmoreeffectinmakingmepersevereinovercomingthedifficultiesofanunassistedsolitaryobserverthananythingelse；sowhatevercreditmaybeattachedtothegeographicalpositionslaiddowninmyroutemustbeattributedtothevoluntaryaidoftheexcellentandlaboriousastronomeroftheCapeobservatory。
Havinggiventhereaderasrapidasketchaspossibleofeventswhichattractednoticebetween1840and1852，Inowproceedtonarratetheincidentsofthelastandlongestjourneyofall，performedin1852-6。
StartinJune，1852，onthelastandlongestJourneyfromCapeTown
CompanionsWagon-travelingPhysicalDivisionsofAfrica
TheEastern，Central，andWesternZonesTheKalahariDesert
ItsVegetationIncreasingValueoftheInteriorforColonization
OurRouteDutchBoersTheirHabitsSterileAppearanceoftheDistrictFailureofGrassSucceededbyotherPlants
VinesAnimalsTheBoersasFarmersMigrationofSpringbucks
WarinessofAnimalsTheOrangeRiverTerritoryoftheGriquasandBechuanasTheGriquasTheChiefWaterboer
HiswiseandenergeticGovernmentHisFidelityIll-consideredMeasuresoftheColonialGovernmentinregardtoSuppliesofGunpowder
SuccessoftheMissionariesamongtheGriquasandBechuanas
ManifestImprovementofthenativeCharacterDressoftheNatives
Afull-dressCostumeANative’sDescriptionoftheNatives
ArticlesofCommerceintheCountryoftheBechuanas
TheirUnwillingnesstolearn，andReadinesstocriticise。
HavingsentmyfamilyhometoEngland，IstartedinthebeginningofJune，1852，onmylastjourneyfromCapeTownThisjourneyextendedfromthesouthernextremityofthecontinenttoStPauldeLoando，thecapitalofAngola，onthewestcoast，andthenceacrossSouthCentralAfricainanobliquedirectiontoKilimaneQuilimane
inEasternAfricaIproceededintheusualconveyanceofthecountry，theheavy，lumberingCapewagondrawnbytenoxen，andwasaccompaniedbytwoChristianBechuanasfromKurumanthanwhomIneversawbetterservantsanywherebytwoBakwainmen，andtwoyounggirls，who，havingcomeasnurseswithourchildrentotheCape，werereturningtotheirhomeatKolobengWagon-travelinginAfricahasbeensooftendescribedthatIneedsaynomorethanthatitisaprolongedsystemofpicnicking，excellentforthehealth，andagreeabletothosewhoarenotover-fastidiousabouttrifles，andwhodelightinbeingintheopenair。