ItoldthecaptiveyoungmantoinformMasikothathewasveryunlikehisfatherSanturu，whohadrefusedtosellhispeopletoMambari。
Hewillprobablybeafraidtodeliversuchamessagehimself，butitismeantforhispeople，andtheywillcirculateitprettywidely，andMasikomayyetfeelalittlepressurefromwithoutWesentMosantu，aBatokaman，andhiscompanions，withthecaptivesTheBarotsewhomwehadwereunwillingtogotoMasiko，sincetheyowehimallegianceasthesonofSanturu，andwhiletheycontinuewiththeMakololoareconsideredrebelsThemessagebyMosantuwas，that“IwassorrytofindthatSanturuhadnotborneawisersonSanturulovedtogovernmen，butMasikowantedtogovernwildbeastsonly，ashesoldhispeopletotheMambari；“addinganexplanationofthereturnofthecaptives，andaninjunctiontohimtoliveinpeace，andpreventhispeoplekidnappingthechildrenandcanoesoftheMakololo，asacontinuanceinthesedeedswouldleadtowar，whichIwishedtopreventHewasalsoinstructedtosay，ifMasikowantedfullerexplanationofmyviews，hemustsendasensiblemantotalkwithmeatthefirsttownoftheBalonda，towhichIwasabouttoproceed。
WeferriedMosantuovertotheleftbankoftheLeeba。
Thejourneyrequiredfivedays，butitcouldnothavebeenataquickerratethantenortwelvemilesperday；thechildrenwerebetweensevenandeightyearsofage，andunabletowalkfastinahotsun。
LeavingMosantutopursuehiscourse，weshalltakebutoneglancedowntheriver，whichwearenowabouttoleave，foritcomesatthispointfromtheeastward，andourcourseistobedirectedtothenorthwest，aswemeantogotoLoandainAngolaFromtheconfluence，wherewenoware，downtoMosioatunya，therearemanylongreaches，whereavesselequaltotheThamessteamersplyingbetweenthebridgescouldrunasfreelyastheydoontheThamesItisoften，evenhere，asbroadasthatriveratLondonBridge，but，withoutaccuratemeasurementofthedepth，onecouldnotsaywhichcontainedmostwater。
Thereare，however，manyandseriousobstaclestoacontinuednavigationforhundredsofmilesatastretchAbouttenmilesbelowtheconfluenceoftheLoeti，forinstance，therearemanylargesand-banksinthestream；thenyouhaveahundredmilestotheRiverSimah，whereaThamessteamercouldplyatalltimesoftheyear；
but，again，thespacebetweenSimahandKatima-molelohasfiveorsixrapidswithcataracts，oneofwhich，Gonye，couldnotbepassedatanytimewithoutportageBetweentheserapidstherearereachesofstill，deepwater，ofseveralmilesinlength。
BeyondKatima-molelototheconfluenceoftheChobeyouhavenearlyahundredmilesagain，ofarivercapableofbeingnavigatedinthesamewayasintheBarotsevalley。
NowIdonotsaythatthispartoftheriverpresentsaveryinvitingprospectforextemporaneousEuropeanenterprise；butwhenwehaveapathwaywhichrequiresonlytheformationofportagestomakeitequaltoourcanalsforhundredsofmiles，wherethephilosopherssupposedtherewasnaughtbutanextensivesandydesert，wemustconfessthatthefuturepartakesatleastoftheelementsofhopeMydeliberateconvictionwasandisthatthepartofthecountryindicatedisascapableofsupportingmillionsofinhabitantsasitisofitsthousandsThegrassoftheBarotsevalley，forinstance，issuchadensely-mattedmassthat，when“laid“，thestalksbeareachotherup，sothatonefeelsasifwalkingonthesheavesofahay-stack，andthelechesnestleunderittobringforththeiryoungThesoilwhichproducesthis，ifplacedundertheplow，insteadofbeingmerepasturage，wouldyieldgrainsufficienttofeedvastmultitudes。
WenowbegantoascendtheLeebaThewaterisblackincolorascomparedwiththemainstream，whichhereassumesthenameofKabompo。
TheLeebaflowsplacidly，and，unliketheparentriver，receivesnumbersoflittlerivuletsfrombothsidesItwindsslowlythroughthemostcharmingmeadows，eachofwhichhaseitherasoft，sedgycentre，largepond，ortricklingrilldownthemiddle。
Thetreesarenowcoveredwithaprofusionofthefreshestfoliage，andseemplantedingroupsofsuchpleasant，gracefuloutlinethatartcouldgivenoadditionalcharmThegrass，whichhadbeenburnedoffandwasgrowingagainaftertherains，wasshortandgreen，andallthescenerysolikethatofacarefully-tendedgentleman’spark，thatoneisscarcelyremindedthatthesurroundingregionisinthehandsofsimplenaturealoneIsuspectthatthelevelmeadowsareinundatedannually，forthespotsonwhichthetreesstandareelevatedthreeorfourfeetabovethem，andtheseelevations，beingofdifferentshapes，givethestrangevarietyofoutlineofthepark-likewoodsNumbersofafresh-watershellarescatteredalloverthesevalleysTheelevations，asIhaveobservedelsewhere，areofasoft，sandysoil，andthemeadowsofblack，richalluvialloam。
Therearemanybeautifulflowers，andmanybeestosiptheirnectar。
Wefoundplentyofhoneyinthewoods，andsawthestagesonwhichtheBalondadrytheirmeat，whentheycomedowntohuntandgathertheproduceofthewildhivesInonepartwecameupongroupsofloftytreesasstraightasmasts，withfestoonsoforchilla-weedhangingfromthebranchesThis，whichisusedasadye-stuff，isfoundnowhereinthedrycountrytothesouthItprefersthehumidclimatenearthewestcoast。
Alargebuffalowaswounded，andranintothethickestpartoftheforest，bleedingprofuselyTheyoungmenwentonhistrail；
and，thoughthevegetationwassodensethatnoonecouldhaverunmorethanafewyards，mostofthemwentalongquitecarelessly，pickingandeatingafruitofthemelonfamilycalledMponko。
Whentheanimalheardthemapproachhealwaysfled，shiftinghisstandanddoublingonhiscourseinthemostcunningmanner。
InothercasesIhaveknownthemtoturnbacktoapointafewyardsfromtheirowntrail，andthenliedowninahollowwaitingforthehuntertocomeupThoughaheavy，lumbering-lookinganimal，hischargeisthenrapidandterrificMoreaccidentshappenbythebuffaloandtheblackrhinocerosthanbythelion。
Thoughallareawareofthemischievousnatureofthebuffalowhenwounded，ouryoungmenwentafterhimquitecarelesslyTheyneverlosetheirpresenceofmind，but，asabuffalochargesbackinaforest，dartdexterouslyoutofhiswaybehindatree，and，wheelinground，stabhimashepasses。
Atreeinflowerbroughtthepleasantfragranceofhawthornhedgesbacktomemory；itsleaves，flowers，perfumes，andfruitresembledthoseofthehawthorn，onlytheflowerswereaslargeasdog-roses，andthe“haws“likeboys’marblesHeretheflowerssmellsweetly，whilefewinthesouthemitanyscentatall，oronlyanauseousodor。
AbotanistwouldfindarichharvestonthebanksoftheLeeba。
Thiswouldbehisbestseason，fortheflowersallrunrapidlytoseed，andtheninsectsofeveryshapespringintoexistencetodevourthem。
Theclimbingplantsdisplaygreatvigorofgrowth，beingnotonlythickinthetrunk，butalsoattheverypoint，inthemannerofquickly-growingasparagusThemaroroormalolonowappears，andisabundantinmanypartsbetweenthisandAngolaItisasmallbushwithayellowfruit，andinitsappearanceadwarf“anona“。
Thetasteissweet，andthefruitiswholesome：itisfullofseeds，likethecustard-apple。
Onthe28thwesleptataspotontherightbankfromwhichhadjustemergedtwobroodsofalligatorsWehadseenmanyyoungonesaswecameup，sothisseemstobetheirtimeofcomingforthfromthenests，forwesawthemsunningthemselvesonsand-banksincompanywiththeoldones。
Wemadeourfireinoneofthedesertednests，whichwerestrewedalloverwiththebrokenshellsAttheZougawesawsixtyeggstakenoutofonesuchnestaloneTheyareaboutthesizeofthoseofagoose，onlytheeggsofthealligatorareofthesamediameteratbothends，andthewhiteshellispartiallyelastic，fromhavingastronginternalmembraneandbutlittlelimeinitscompositionThedistancefromthewaterwasabouttenfeet，andtherewereevidencesofthesameplacehavingbeenusedforasimilarpurposeinformeryearsAbroadpathledupfromthewatertothenest，andthedam，itwassaidbymycompanions，afterdepositingtheeggs，coversthemup，andreturnsafterwardtoassisttheyoungoutoftheplaceofconfinementandoutoftheegg。
Sheleadsthemtotheedgeofthewater，andthenleavesthemtocatchsmallfishforthemselvesAssistancetocomeforthseemsnecessary，forhere，besidesthetoughmembraneoftheshell，theyhadfourinchesofearthuponthem；buttheydonotrequireimmediateaidforfood，becausetheyallretainaportionofyolk，equaltothatofahen’segg，inamembraneintheabdomen，asastockofnutriment，whileonlybeginningindependentexistencebycatchingfishFishistheprincipalfoodofbothsmallandlarge，andtheyaremuchassistedincatchingthembytheirbroad，scalytails。
Sometimesanalligator，viewingamaninthewaterfromtheoppositebank，rushesacrossthestreamwithwonderfulagility，asisseenbythehighripplehemakesonthesurfacecausedbyhisrapidmotionatthebottom；butingeneraltheyactbystealth，sinkingunderneathassoonastheyseemanTheyseldomleavethewatertocatchprey，butoftencomeoutbydaytoenjoythepleasureofbaskinginthesun。
InwalkingalongthebankoftheZougaonce，asmallone，aboutthreefeetlong，madeadashatmyfeet，andcausedmetorushquicklyinanotherdirection；butthisisunusual，forIneverheardofasimilarcaseAwoundedleche，chasedintoanyofthelagoonsintheBarotsevalley，oramanordoggoinginforthepurposeofbringingoutadeadone，isalmostsuretobeseized，thoughthealligatorsmaynotappearonthesurfaceWhenemployedinlookingforfoodtheykeepoutofsight；
theyfishchieflybynightWheneating，theymakealoud，champingnoise，whichwhenonceheardisneverforgotten。
Theyoung，whichhadcomeoutofthenestswherewespentthenight，didnotappearwary；theywereabouttenincheslong，withyelloweyes，andpupilmerelyaperpendicularslitTheywereallmarkedwithtransverseslipsofpalegreenandbrown，halfaninchbroad。
Whenspeared，theybittheweaponsavagely，thoughtheirteethwerebutpartiallydeveloped，utteringatthesametimeasharpbarklikethatofawhelpwhenitfirstbeginstouseitsvoice。
Icouldnotascertainwhetherthedamdevoursthem，asreported，orwhethertheichneumonhasthesamereputationhereasinEgypt。
ProbablytheBarotseandBayeiyewouldnotlookuponitasabenefactor；
theyprefertoeattheeggsthemselves，andbetheirownichneumons。
Thewhiteoftheeggdoesnotcoagulate，buttheyolkdoes，andthisistheonlyparteaten。
Asthepopulationincreases，thealligatorswilldecrease，fortheirnestswillbeoftenerfound；theprincipalcheckontheirinordinatemultiplicationseemstobemanTheyaremoresavageandcommitmoremischiefintheLeeambyethaninanyotherriverAfterdancinglonginthemoonlightnights，youngmenrundowntothewatertowashoffthedustandcoolthemselvesbeforegoingtobed，andarethusoftencarriedaway。
Onewonderstheyarenotafraid；butthefactis，theyhaveaslittlesenseofdangerimpendingoverthemastheharehaswhennotactuallypursuedbythehound，andinmanyrencounters，inwhichtheyescape，theyhadnottimetobeafraid，andonlylaughatthecircumstanceafterward：
thereisawantofcalmreflectionInmanycases，notreferredtointhisbook，IfeelmorehorrornowinthinkingondangersIhaverunthanIdidatthetimeoftheiroccurrence。
WhenwereachedthepartoftheriveroppositetothevillageofManenko，thefirstfemalechiefwhomweencountered，twoofthepeoplecalledBalunda，orBalonda，cametousintheirlittlecanoeFromthemwelearnedthatKolimbota，oneofourparty，whohadbeeninthehabitofvisitingtheseparts，wasbelievedbytheBalondatohaveactedasaguidetothemaraudersunderLerimo，whosecaptiveswewerenowreturning。
Theyverynaturallysuspectedthis，fromthefacilitywithwhichtheirvillageshadbeenfound，and，astheyhadsinceremovedthemtosomedistancefromtheriver，theywereunwillingtoleadustotheirplacesofconcealmentWewereinbadrepute，but，havingacaptiveboyandgirltoshowinevidenceofSekeletuandourselvesnotbeingpartakersintheguiltofinferiormen，IcouldfreelyexpressmydesirethatallshouldliveinpeaceTheyevidentlyfeltthatIoughttohavetaughttheMakololofirst，beforecomingtothem，fortheyremarkedthatwhatIadvancedwasverygood，butguiltlayatthedooroftheMakololofordisturbingthepreviouslyexistingpeace。
TheythenwentawaytoreportustoManenko。
Whenthestrangersvisitedusagainintheevening，theywereaccompaniedbyanumberofthepeopleofanAmbondachiefnamedSekelenke。