Itisthreeorfourhundredfeethigh，andcoveredwithtrees。
ItsgeographicalpositionisprettyaccuratelylaiddownfromoccultationandotherobservationsImaymentionthatthevalleyonitsnorthernside，namedKandehyorKandehai，isaspicturesqueaspotasistobeseeninthispartofAfricaTheopenglade，surroundedbyforesttreesofvarioushues，hadalittlestreammeanderinginthecentre。
Aherdofreddish-coloredantelopespallahsstoodononeside，nearalargebaobab，lookingatus，andreadytorunupthehill；
whilegnus，tsessebes，andzebrasgazedinastonishmentattheintruders。
Somefedcarelessly，andothersputonthepeculiarairofdispleasurewhichtheseanimalssometimesassumebeforetheyresolveonflight。
Alargewhiterhinoceroscamealongthebottomofthevalleywithhisslowsaunteringgaitwithoutnoticingus；helookedasifhemeanttoindulgeinamudbathSeveralbuffaloes，withtheirdarkvisages，stoodunderthetreesonthesideoppositetothepallahsItbeingSunday，allwaspeace，and，fromthecircumstancesinwhichourpartywasplaced，wecouldnotbutreflectonthatsecondstageofourexistencewhichwehopewillleadusintoscenesofperfectbeauty。
IfpardonedinthatfreewaytheBiblepromises，deathwillbeagloriousthing；buttobeconsignedtowaitfortheJudgment-day，withnothingelsetoponderonbutsinswewouldratherforget，isacheerlessprospect。
OurBushmenwishedtoleaveus，and，astherewasnouseintryingtothwarttheseindependentgentlemen，Ipaidthem，andallowedthemtogo。
Thepayment，however，actedasacharmonsomestrangerswhohappenedtobepresent，andinducedthemtovolunteertheiraid。
ThegamehereaboutsisverytameKoodoosandgiraffesstoodgazingatmeasastrangeapparitionwhenIwentoutwiththeBushmen。
Ononeoccasionalioncameatdaybreak，andwentroundandroundtheoxen。
Icouldonlygetaglimpseofhimoccasionallyfromthewagon-box；
but，thoughbarelythirtyyardsoff，IcouldnotgetashotHethenbegantoroaratthetopofhisvoice；buttheoxencontinuingtostandstill，hewassodisgustedthathewentoff，andcontinuedtousehisvoiceforalongtimeinthedistanceIcouldnotseethathehadamane；
ifhehadnot，theneventhemanelessvarietycanusetheirtongues。
Weheardothersalsoroar；and，whentheyfoundtheycouldnotfrightentheoxen，theybecameequallyangryThiswecouldobserveintheirtones。
Aswewentnorththecountrybecameverylovely；manynewtreesappeared；
thegrasswasgreen，andoftenhigherthanthewagons；thevinesfestoonedthetrees，amongwhichappearedtherealbanian`FicusIndica’，withitsdrop-shoots，andthewilddateandpalmyra，andseveralothertreeswhichwerenewtome；thehollowscontainedlargepatchesofwater。
Nextcamewater-courses，nowresemblingsmallrivers，twentyyardsbroadandfourfeetdeepThefurtherwewent，thebroaderanddeeperthesebecame；theirbottomscontainedgreatnumbersofdeepholes，madebyelephantswadinginthem；
inthesetheoxenfloundereddesperately，sothatourwagon-polebroke，compellingustoworkuptothebreastinwaterforthreehoursandahalf；
yetIsufferednoharm。
WeatlastcametotheSanshureh，whichpresentedanimpassablebarrier，sowedrewupunderamagnificentbaobab-tree，lat18d4’27“S。，long24d6’20“E。，andresolvedtoexploretheriverforaford。
ThegreatquantityofwaterwehadpassedthroughwaspartoftheannualinundationoftheChobe；andthis，whichappearedalarge，deepriver，filledinmanypartswithreeds，andhavinghippopotamiinit，isonlyoneofthebranchesbywhichitsendsitssuperabundantwatertothesoutheastFromthehillN’gwaaridgeofhigherlandrunstothenortheast，andboundsitscourseinthatdirection。
We，beingignorantofthis，wereinthevalley，andtheonlygapinthewholecountrydestituteoftsetseIncompanywiththeBushmenIexploredallthebanksoftheSanshurehtothewesttillwecameintotsetseonthatsideWewadedalongwayamongthereedsinwaterbreastdeep，butalwaysfoundabroad，deepspacefreefromvegetationandunfordable。
Apeculiarkindoflichen，whichgrowsonthesurfaceofthesoil，becomesdetachedandfloatsonthewater，givingoutaverydisagreeableodor，likesulphuretedhydrogen，insomeofthesestagnantwaters。
WemadesomanyattemptstogetovertheSanshureh，bothtothewestandeastofthewagon，inthehopeofreachingsomeoftheMakololoontheChobe，thatmyBushmenfriendsbecamequitetiredoftheworkBymeansofpresentsIgotthemtoremainsomedays；butatlasttheyslippedawaybynight，andIwasfaintotakeoneofthestrongestofmystillweakcompanionsandcrosstheriverinapontoon，thegiftofCaptainsCodringtonandWebb。
Weeachcarriedsomeprovisionsandablanket，andpenetratedabouttwentymilestothewestward，inthehopeofstrikingtheChobe。
Itwasmuchnearertousinanortherlydirection，butthiswedidnotthenknowTheplain，overwhichwesplashedthewholeofthefirstday，wascoveredwithwaterankledeep，andthickgrasswhichreachedabovethekneesIntheeveningwecametoanimmensewallofreeds，sixoreightfeethigh，withoutanyopeningadmittingofapassageWhenwetriedtoenter，thewateralwaysbecamesodeepthatwewerefaintodesist。
Weconcludedthatwehadcometothebanksoftheriverwewereinsearchof，sowedirectedourcoursetosometreeswhichappearedinthesouth，inordertogetabedandaviewoftheadjacentlocality。
Havingshotaleche，andmadeagloriousfire，wegotagoodcupofteaandhadacomfortablenightWhilecollectingwoodthatevening，Ifoundabird’snestconsistingofliveleavessewntogetherwiththreadsofthespider’swebNothingcouldexceedtheairinessofthisprettycontrivance；thethreadshadbeenpushedthroughsmallpuncturesandthickenedtoresembleaknot。
IunfortunatelylostitThiswasthesecondnestIhadseenresemblingthatofthetailor-birdofIndia。
Nextmorning，byclimbingthehighesttrees，wecouldseeafinelargesheetofwater，butsurroundedonallsidesbythesameimpenetrablebeltofreedsThisisthebroadpartoftheRiverChobe，andiscalledZabesaTwotree-coveredislandsseemedtobemuchnearertothewaterthantheshoreonwhichwewere，sowemadeanattempttogettothemfirstItwasnotthereedsalonewehadtopassthrough；apeculiarserratedgrass，whichatcertainanglescutthehandslikearazor，wasmingledwiththereed，andtheclimbingconvolvulus，withstalkswhichfeltasstrongaswhipcord，boundthemasstogetherWefeltlikepigmiesinit，andoftentheonlywaywecouldgetonwasbybothofusleaningagainstapartandbendingitdowntillwecouldstanduponitTheperspirationstreamedoffourbodies，andasthesunrosehigh，therebeingnoventilationamongthereeds，theheatwasstifling，andthewater，whichwasuptotheknees，feltagreeablyrefreshingAftersomehours’toilwereachedoneoftheislandsHerewemetanoldfriend，thebramble-bush。
Mystrongmoleskinswerequitewornthroughattheknees，andtheleathertrowsersofmycompanionweretornandhislegsbleeding。
Tearingmyhandkerchiefintwo，Itiedthepiecesroundmyknees，andthenencounteredanotherdifficultyWewerestillfortyorfiftyyardsfromtheclearwater，butnowwewereopposedbygreatmassesofpapyrus，whicharelikepalmsinminiature，eightortenfeethigh，andaninchandahalfindiameterThesewerelacedtogetherbytwiningconvolvulus，sostronglythattheweightofbothofuscouldnotmakewayintotheclearwaterAtlastwefortunatelyfoundapassagepreparedbyahippopotamusEagerassoonaswereachedtheislandtolookalongthevistatoclearwater，Isteppedinandfoundittookmeatonceuptotheneck。
Returningnearlywornout，weproceededupthebankoftheChobetillwecametothepointofdepartureofthebranchSanshureh；wethenwentintheoppositedirection，ordowntheChobe，thoughfromthehighesttreeswecouldseenothingbutonevastexpanseofreed，withhereandthereatreeontheislandsThiswasahardday’swork；andwhenwecametoadesertedBayeiyehutonanant-hill，notabitofwoodoranythingelsecouldbegotforafireexceptthegrassandsticksofthedwellingitself。
Idreadedthe“Tampans“，socommoninalloldhuts；butoutsideofitwehadthousandsofmosquitoes，andcolddewbegantobedeposited，sowewerefaintocrawlbeneathitsshelter。
Wewereclosetothereeds，andcouldlistentothestrangesoundswhichareoftenheardthereBydayIhadseenwater-snakesputtinguptheirheadsandswimmingaboutThereweregreatnumbersofotters`Lutrainunguis’，FCuvier，whichhavemadelittlespoorsallovertheplainsinsearchofthefishes，amongthetallgrassofthesefloodedprairies；curiousbirds，too，jerkedandwriggledamongthesereedymasses，andweheardhuman-likevoicesandunearthlysounds，withsplash，guggle，jupp，asifrarefunweregoingonintheiruncouthhauntsAtonetimesomethingcamenearus，makingasplashinglikethatofacanoeorhippopotamus；
thinkingittobetheMakololo，wegotup，listened，andshouted；
thendischargedagunseveraltimes；butthenoisecontinuedwithoutintermissionforanhourAfteradamp，coldnightwesetto，earlyinthemorning，atourworkofexploringagain，butleftthepontooninordertolightenourlaborTheant-hillsarehereveryhigh，somethirtyfeet，andofabasesobroadthattreesgrowonthem；
whilethelands，annuallyflooded，bearnothingbutgrass。
Fromoneoftheseant-hillswediscoveredaninlettotheChobe；
and，havinggonebackforthepontoon，welaunchedourselvesonadeepriver，herefromeightytoonehundredyardswideIgavemycompanionstrictinjunctionstostickbythepontoonincaseahippopotamusshouldlookatus；norwasthiscautionunnecessary，foronecameupatoursideandmadeadesperateplungeoff。
WehadpassedoverhimThewavehemadecausedthepontoontoglidequicklyawayfromhim。
WepaddledonfrommiddaytillsunsetTherewasnothingbutawallofreedoneachbank，andwesaweveryprospectofspendingasupperlessnightinourfloat；butjustastheshorttwilightofthesepartswascommencing，weperceivedonthenorthbankthevillageofMoremi，oneoftheMakololo，whoseacquaintanceIhadmadeonourformervisit，andwhowasnowlocatedontheislandMahontalat17d58’S。，long24d6’E。。
Thevillagerslookedaswemaysupposepeopledowhoseeaghost，andintheirfigurativewayofspeakingsaid，“Hehasdroppedamongusfromtheclouds，yetcameridingonthebackofahippopotamus！
WeMakololothoughtnoonecouldcrosstheChobewithoutourknowledge，butherehedropsamonguslikeabird。”
Nextdaywereturnedincanoesacrossthefloodedlands，andfoundthat，inourabsence，themenhadallowedthecattletowanderintoaverysmallpatchofwoodtothewestcontainingthetsetse；
thiscarelessnesscostmetenfinelargeoxenAfterremainingafewdays，someoftheheadmenoftheMakololocamedownfromLinyanti，withalargepartyofBarotse，totakeusacrosstheriver。
Thistheydidinfinestyle，swimminganddivingamongtheoxenmorelikealligatorsthanmen，andtakingthewagonstopiecesandcarryingthemacrossonanumberofcanoeslashedtogether。
Wewerenowamongfriends；sogoingaboutthirtymilestothenorth，inordertoavoidthestillfloodedlandsonthenorthoftheChobe，weturnedwestwardtowardLinyantilat18d17’20“S。，long23d50’9“E。，wherewearrivedonthe23dofMay，1853ThisisthecapitaltownoftheMakololo，andonlyashortdistancefromourwagon-standof1851
lat18d20’S。，long23d50’E。。