第38章
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  Eachtribehasitsownwayofcuttingupanddistributingananimal。

  AmongtheMakololothehumpandribsbelongtothechief;

  amongtheBakwainsthebreastishisperquisiteAftertheoxenarecutup,thedifferentjointsareplacedbeforeSekeletu,andheapportionsthemamongthegentlemenofthepartyThewholeisrapidlydividedbytheirattendants,cutintolongstrips,andsomanyofthesearethrownintothefiresatoncethattheyarenearlyputout。

  Halfbroiledandburninghot,themeatisquicklyhandedround;

  everyonegetsamouthful,butnooneexceptthechiefhastimetomasticate。

  Itisnottheenjoymentofeatingtheyaimat,buttogetasmuchofthefoodintothestomachaspossibleduringtheshorttimetheothersarecrammingaswellasthemselves,fornoonecaneatmorethanamouthfulaftertheothershavefinishedTheyareeminentlygregariousintheireating;and,astheydespiseanyonewhoeatsalone,Ialwayspouredouttwocupsofcoffeeatmyownmeals,sothatthechief,orsomeoneoftheprincipalmen,mightpartakealongwithme。

  Theyallsoonbecomeveryfondofcoffee;and,indeed,someofthetribesattributegreaterfecunditytothedailyuseofthisbeverage。

  Theywereallwellacquaintedwiththesugar-cane,astheycultivateitintheBarotsecountry,butknewnothingofthemethodofextractingthesugarfromitTheyusethecaneonlyforchewingSekeletu,relishingthesweetcoffeeandbiscuits,ofwhichIthenhadastore,said“heknewmyheartlovedhimbyfindinghisownheartwarmingtomyfood。”

  HehadbeenvisitedduringmyabsenceattheCapebysometradersandGriquas,and“theircoffeedidnottastehalfsoniceasmine,becausetheylovedhisivoryandnothimself。”Thiswascertainlyanoriginalmodeofdiscerningcharacter。

  SekeletuandIhadeachalittlegipsy-tentinwhichtosleep。

  TheMakololohutsaregenerallyclean,whilethoseoftheMakalakaareinfestedwithverminThecleanlinessoftheformerisowingtothehabitoffrequentlysmearingthefloorswithaplastercomposedofcowdungandearthIfwesleptinthetentinsomevillages,themiceranoverourfacesanddisturbedoursleep,orhungryprowlingdogswouldeatourshoesandleaveonlythesolesWhentheywereguiltyofthisandothermisdemeanors,wegottheloanofahut。

  ThebestsortofMakololohutsconsistofthreecircularwalls,withsmallholesasdoors,eachsimilartothatinadog-house;

  anditisnecessarytobenddownthebodytogetin,evenwhenonall-fours。

  Theroofisformedofreedsorstraightsticks,inshapelikeaChinaman’shat,boundfirmlytogetherwithcircularbands,whicharelashedwiththestronginnerbarkofthemimosa-tree。

  Whenallpreparedexceptthethatch,itisliftedontothecircularwall,therimrestingonacircleofpoles,betweeneachofwhichthethirdwallisbuiltTheroofisthatchedwithfinegrass,andsewedwiththesamematerialasthelashings;and,asitprojectsfarbeyondthewalls,andreacheswithinfourfeetoftheground,theshadeisthebesttobefoundinthecountryThesehutsareverycoolinthehottestday,butarecloseanddeficientinventilationbynight。

  Thebedisamatmadeofrushessewntogetherwithtwine;

  thehip-bonesoonbecomessoreonthehardflatsurface,aswearenotallowedtomakeaholeinthefloortoreceivetheprominentpartcalledtrochanterbyanatomists,aswedowhensleepingongrassorsand。

  OurcourseatthistimeledustoapartaboveSesheke,calledKatonga,wherethereisavillagebelongingtoaBashubiamannamedSekhosi

  latitude17d29’13“,longitude24d33’TheriverhereissomewhatbroaderthanatSesheke,andcertainlynotlessthansixhundredyards。

  Itflowssomewhatslowlyinthefirstpartofitseasterncourse。

  WhenthecanoescamefromSekhositotakeusover,oneofthecomradesofSebituanerose,and,lookingtoSekeletu,calledout,“Theeldersofahostalwaystaketheleadinanattack。”Thiswasunderstoodatonce;

  andSekeletu,withalltheyoungmen,wereobligedtogivetheelderstheprecedence,andremainonthesouthernbankandseethatallwentorderlyintothecanoesIttookaconsiderabletimetoferryoverthewholeofourlargeparty,as,evenwithquickpaddling,fromsixtoeightminuteswerespentinthemerepassagefrombanktobank。

  Severaldayswerespentincollectingcanoesfromdifferentvillagesontheriver,whichwenowlearnediscalledbythewholeoftheBarotsetheLiambaiorLeeambyeThiswecouldnotascertainonourfirstvisit,and,consequently,calledtheriverafterthetown“Sesheke“。

  ThistermSeshekemeans“whitesand-banks“,manyofwhichexistatthispart。

  ThereisanothervillageinthevalleyoftheBarotselikewisecalledSesheke,andforthesamereason;butthetermLeeambyemeans“thelargeriver“,ortheriverPAREXCELLENCELuambeji,Luambesi,Ambezi,Ojimbesi,andZambesi,etc。,arenamesappliedtoitatdifferentpartsofitscourse,accordingtothedialectspoken,andallpossessasimilarsignification,andexpressthenativeideaofthismagnificentstreambeingthemaindrainofthecountry。

  Inordertoassistinthesupportofourlargeparty,andatthesametimetoseetheadjacentcountry,Iwentseveraltimes,duringourstay,tothenorthofthevillageforgameThecountryiscoveredwithclumpsofbeautifultrees,amongwhichfineopengladesstretchawayineverydirection;whentheriverisinfloodtheseareinundated,butthetree-coveredelevatedspotsaremuchmorenumerousherethaninthecountrybetweentheChobeandtheLeeambyeThesoilisdarkloam,asitiseverywhereonspotsreachedbytheinundation,whileamongthetreesitissandy,andnotcoveredsodenselywithgrassaselsewhereAsandyridgecoveredwithtrees,runningparallelto,andabouteightmilesfromtheriver,isthelimitoftheinundationonthenorth;therearelargetractsofthissandyforestinthatdirection,tillyoucometootherdistrictsofalluvialsoilandfewertrees。

  Thelattersoilisalwaysfoundinthevicinityofriverswhicheithernowoverflowtheirbanksannually,orformerlydidso。

  Thepeopleenjoyraininsufficientquantitytoraiseverylargesuppliesofgrainandground-nuts。

  ThisdistrictcontainsgreatnumbersofasmallantelopenamedTianyane,unknowninthesouthItstandsabouteighteenincheshigh,isverygracefulinitsmovements,anduttersacryofalarmnotunlikethatofthedomesticfowl;itisofabrownish-redcoloronthesidesandback,withthebellyandlowerpartofthetailwhite;

  itisverytimid,butthematernalaffectionthatthelittlethingbearstoitsyoungwillofteninduceittoofferbattleeventoamanapproachingitWhentheyoungoneistootendertorunaboutwiththedam,sheputsonefootontheprominenceabouttheseventhcervicalvertebra,orwithers;theinstinctoftheyoungenablesittounderstandthatitisnowrequiredtokneeldown,andtoremainquitestilltillithearsthebleatingofitsdam。

  Ifyouseeanotherwisegregariousshe-antelopeseparatedfromtheherd,andgoingaloneanywhere,youmaybesureshehaslaidherlittleonetosleepinsomecozyspotThecolorofthehairintheyoungisbetteradaptedforassimilatingitwiththegroundthanthatoftheolderanimals,whichdonotneedtobescreenedfromtheobservationofbirdsofpreyIobservedtheArabsatAden,whenmakingtheircamelskneeldown,pressthethumbonthewithersinexactlythesamewaytheantelopesdowiththeiryoung;

  probablytheyhavebeenledtothecustombyseeingthisplanadoptedbythegazelleoftheDesert。

  Greatnumbersofbuffaloes,zebras,tsessebes,tahaetsi,andeland,orpohu,grazedundisturbedontheseplains,sothatverylittleexertionwasrequiredtosecureafairsupplyofmeatforthepartyduringthenecessarydelay。

  Huntingonfoot,asallthosewhohaveengagedinitinthiscountrywillatonceadmit,isveryhardworkindeedTheheatofthesunbydayissogreat,eveninwinter,asitnowwas,that,hadtherebeenanyoneonwhomIcouldhavethrownthetask,hewouldhavebeenmostwelcometoallthesportthetoilissupposedtoimpartButtheMakololoshotsobadly,that,inordertosavemypowder,Iwasobligedtogomyself。

  Weshotabeautifulcow-eland,standingintheshadeofafinetree。

  Itwasevidentthatshehadlatelyhadhercalfkilledbyalion,fortherewerefivelongdeepscratchesonbothsidesofherhind-quarters,asifshehadruntotherescueofhercalf,andthelion,leavingit,hadattackedherself,butwasunabletopullherdown。

  Whenlyingontheground,themilkflowingfromthelargeuddershowedthatshemusthavebeenseekingtheshade,fromthedistressitsnon-removalinthenaturalmannercausedShewasabeautifulcreature,andLebeole,aMakolologentlemanwhoaccompaniedme,speakinginreferencetoitssizeandbeauty,said,“Jesusoughttohavegivenustheseinsteadofcattle。”Itwasanew,undescribedvarietyofthissplendidantelopeItwasmarkedwithnarrowwhitebandsacrossthebody,exactlylikethoseofthekoodoo,andhadablackpatchofmorethanahandbreadthontheoutersideofthefore-arm。

  Chapter12。

  ProcureCanoesandascendtheLeeambyeBeautifulIslands

  WinterLandscapeIndustryandSkilloftheBanyeti

  RapidsFallsofGonyeTraditionAnnualInundations

  FertilityofthegreatBarotseValleyExecutionoftwoConspirators

  TheSlave-dealer’sStockadeNaliele,theCapital,builtonanartificialMoundSanturu,agreatHunter

  TheBarotseMethodofcommemoratinganyremarkableEvent

  BetterTreatmentofWomenMorereligiousFeelingBeliefinafutureState,andintheExistenceofspiritualBeingsGardens

  Fish,Fruit,andGameProceedtotheLimitsoftheBarotseCountry

  SekeletuprovidesRowersandaHeraldTheRiverandVicinity

  Hippopotamus-huntersNohealthyLocationDeterminetogotoLoanda

  Buffaloes,Elands,andLionsaboveLibontaInterviewwiththeMambari

  TwoArabsfromZanzibarTheirOpinionofthePortugueseandtheEnglishReachtheTownofMa-SekeletuJoyofthePeopleatthefirstVisitoftheirChiefReturntoSeshekeHeathenism。

  Havingatlastprocuredasufficientnumberofcanoes,webegantoascendtheriverIhadthechoiceofthewholefleet,andselectedthebest,thoughnotthelargest;itwasthirty-fourfeetlongbytwentyincheswide。

  Ihadsixpaddlers,andthelargercanoeofSekeletuhadten。

  Theystandupright,andkeepthestrokewithgreatprecision,thoughtheychangefromsidetosideasthecoursedemandsThemenattheheadandsternareselectedfromthestrongestandmostexpertofthewhole。

  Thecanoes,beingflatbottomed,cangointoveryshallowwater;

  andwheneverthemencanfeelthebottomtheyusethepaddles,whichareabouteightfeetlong,aspolestopuntwithOurfleetconsistedofthirty-threecanoes,andaboutonehundredandsixtymen。

  Itwasbeautifultoseethemskimmingalongsoquickly,andkeepingthetimesowellOnlandtheMakalakafeartheMakololo;

  onwatertheMakololofearthem,andcannotpreventthemfromracingwitheachother,dashingalongatthetopoftheirspeed,andplacingtheirmasters’livesindangerIntheeventofacapsize,manyoftheMakololowouldsinklikestonesAcaseofthiskindhappenedonthefirstdayofourvoyageupThewind,blowinggenerallyfromtheeast,raisesverylargewavesontheLeeambyeAnolddoctoroftheMakololohadhiscanoefilledbyoneofthesewaves,and,beingunabletoswim,waslostTheBarotsewhowereinthecanoewithhimsavedthemselvesbyswimming,andwereafraidofbeingpunishedwithdeathintheeveningfornotsavingthedoctoraswellHadhebeenamanofmoreinfluence,theycertainlywouldhavesuffereddeath。

  Weproceededrapidlyuptheriver,andIfeltthepleasureoflookingonlandswhichhadneverbeenseenbyaEuropeanbeforeTheriveris,indeed,amagnificentone,oftenmorethanamilebroad,andadornedwithmanyislandsoffromthreetofivemilesinlengthBothislandsandbanksarecoveredwithforest,andmostofthetreesonthebrinkofthewatersenddownrootsfromtheirbrancheslikethebanian,or`FicusIndica’。

  Theislandsatalittledistanceseemgreatroundedmassesofsylvanvegetationrecliningonthebosomofthegloriousstream。

  Thebeautyofthesceneryofsomeoftheislandsisgreatlyincreasedbythedate-palm,withitsgracefullycurvedfrondsandrefreshinglightgreencolor,nearthebottomofthepicture,andtheloftypalmyratoweringfarabove,andcastingitsfeatheryfoliageagainstacloudlesssky。

  Itbeingwinter,wehadthestrangecoloringonthebankswhichmanypartsofAfricanlandscapeassumeThecountryadjacenttotheriverisrockyandundulating,aboundinginelephantsandallotherlargegame,exceptlechesandnakongs,whichseemgenerallytoavoidstonyground。

  Thesoilisofareddishcolor,andveryfertile,asisattestedbythegreatquantityofgrainraisedannuallybytheBanyeti。

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