Itwasalwaysdifficulttogetourguidestomoveawayfromaplace。
Withtheauthorityofthechief，theyfeltascomfortableasking’smessengerscould，andwerenotdisposedtoforegothepleasureoflivingatfreequartersMyMakololofriendswerebutilldrilledasyet；andsincetheyhadneverlefttheirowncountrybefore，exceptforpurposesofplunder，theydidnottakereadilytothepeacefulsystemwenowmeanttofollow。
Theyeitherspoketooimperiouslytostrangers，or，whenreprovedforthat，weredisposedtofollowthedictationofeveryonewemet。
WhenIntemese，ourguide，refusedtostirtowardtheLeebaonthe31stofJanuary，theywouldmakenoefforttoinducehimtogo；
but，havingorderedthemtogetready，Intemesesawthepreparations，andsoonfollowedtheexampleIttookusaboutfourhourstocrosstheLeeba，whichisconsiderablysmallerherethanwhereweleftitindeed，onlyaboutahundredyardswide。
IthasthesamedarkmossyhueThevillagerslentuscanoestoeffectourpassage；and，havinggonetoavillageabouttwomilesbeyondtheriver，Ihadthesatisfactionofgettingobservationsforbothlongitudeandlatitudefortheformer，thedistancebetweenSaturnandtheMoon，andforthelatterameridianaltitudeofCanopus。
Long22d57’E。，lat12d6’6“S。
TheseweretheonlyopportunitiesIhadofascertainingmywhereaboutsinthispartofLondaAgainandagaindidItakeouttheinstruments，and，justasallwasright，thestarswouldbesuddenlyobscuredbyclouds。
Ihadneverobservedsogreatanamountofcloudinessinanypartofthesouthcountry；andasfortherains，IbelievethatyearsatKolobengwouldnothavemademylittletentsorottenandthinasonemonthhaddoneinLondaIneverobservedinthesouththeheavynightandearlymorningrainswehadinthiscountry。
Theyoftencontinuedallnight，thenbecameheavieraboutanhourbeforedawn。
Oriffairduringthenight，asdaydrewnigh，anextremelyheavy，still，pouringrainsetinwithoutwarningFiveoutofeverysixdayswehadthispouringrain，atornearbreakofday，formonthstogether；
anditsoonbeatmytentsothin，thatamistfellthroughonmyfaceandmadeeverythingdampTherainswereoccasionally，butnotalways，accompaniedwithveryloudthunder。
FEBRUARY1STThisdaywehadafineviewoftwohillscalledPiriPeeri，meaning“two“，onthesideoftheriverwehadleftThecountrythereisnamedMokwankwaAndthereIntemeseinformedusoneofShinte’schildrenwasborn，whenhewasinhisprogresssouthwardfromthecountryofMatiamvo。
ThispartofthecountrywouldthusseemnottohavebeeninhabitedbythepeopleofShinteatanyveryremoteperiodHetoldmehimselfthathehadcomeintohispresentcountrybycommandofMatiamvo。
HereweweresurprisedtohearEnglishcottonclothmuchmoreeagerlyinquiredafterthanbeadsandornamentsTheyaremoreinneedofclothingthantheBechuanatribeslivingadjacenttotheKalahariDesert，whohaveplentyofskinsforthepurposeAnimalsofallkindsarerarehere，andaverysmallpieceofcalicoisofgreatvalue。
Inthemidstoftheheavyrain，whichcontinuedallthemorning，Intemesesenttosayhewaslaidupwithpainsinthestomach，andmustnotbedisturbed；butwhenitclearedup，abouteleven，Isawourfriendwalkingofftothevillage，andtalkingwithaveryloudvoiceOnreproachinghimfortellinganuntruth，heturneditoffwithalaughbysayinghereallyhadacomplaintinhisstomach，whichImightcurebyslaughteringoneoftheoxenandallowinghimtoeatbeefHewasevidentlyrevelingintheabundanceofgoodfoodthechief’sordersbroughtus；
andhedidnotfeeltheshameIdidwhenIgaveafewbeadsonlyinreturnforlargebasketsofmeal。
Averyoldmanvisitedusherewithapresentofmaize：liketheothers，hehadneverbeforeseenawhiteman，and，whenconversingwithhim，someoftheyoungmenremarkedthattheywerethetrueancients，fortheyhadnowseenmorewonderfulthingsthantheirforefathers。
OneofIntemese’smenstoleafowlgivenmebyaladyofthevillage。
Whenchargedwiththetheft，everyoneofIntemese’spartyvociferatedhisinnocenceandindignationatbeingsuspected，continuingtheirloudasseverationsandgesticulationsforsomeminutes。
Oneofmymen，Loyanke，wentofftothevillage，broughttheladywhohadpresentedthefowltoidentifyit，andthenpointedtothehutinwhichitwashiddenTheBalondacollectedroundhim，evincinggreatwrath；butLoyankeseizedhisbattle-axeinthepropermannerforstriking，and，placinghimselfonalittlehillock，soonmadethemmoderatetheirtonesIntemesethencalledonmetosendoneofmypeopletosearchthehutsifIsuspectedhispeople。
Themansentsoonfoundit，andbroughtitout，totheconfusionofIntemeseandthelaughterofourpartyThisincidentismentionedtoshowthatthegreatersuperstitionwhichexistsheredoesnotleadtothepracticeofthevirtuesWenevermetaninstancelikethisoftheftfromawhitemanamongtheMakololo，thoughtheycomplainoftheMakalakaasaddictedtopilfering。
ThehonestyoftheBakwainshasbeenalreadynoticedProbablytheestimationinwhichIwasheldasapublicbenefactor，inwhichcharacterIwasnotyetknowntotheBalonda，mayaccountforthesacrednesswithwhichmypropertywasalwaystreatedbeforeButotherincidentswhichhappenedsubsequentlyshowed，aswellasthis，thatidolatersarenotsovirtuousasthosewhohavenoidols。
AsthepeopleonthebanksoftheLeebawerethelastofShinte’stribeoverwhichIntemesehadpower，hewasnaturallyanxioustoremainaslongaspossibleHewasnotidle，butmadealargewoodenmortarandpestleforhiswifeduringourjourneyHealsocarvedmanywoodenspoonsandabowl；
thencommencedabasket；butaswhatheconsideredgoodlivingwasanythingbutagreeabletous，whohadbeenaccustomedtomilkandmaize，wewentforwardonthe2dwithouthimHesoonfollowed，butleftourpontoon，sayingitwouldbebroughtbytheheadmanofthevillage。
Thiswasagreatloss，asweafterwardfound；itremainedatthisvillagemorethanayear，andwhenwereturnedamousehadeatenaholeinit。
WeenteredonanextensiveplainbeyondtheLeeba，atleasttwentymilesbroad，andcoveredwithwater，ankledeepintheshallowestparts。
WedeviatedsomewhatfromourN。WcoursebythedirectionofIntemese，andkeptthehillsPirinearlyonourrightduringagreatpartofthefirstday，inordertoavoidthestillmoredeeplyfloodedplainsofLobaleLuval？onthewestThese，accordingtoIntemese，areatpresentimpassableonaccountofbeingthighdeep。
Theplainsaresoperfectlylevelthatrain-water，whichthiswas，standsuponthemformonthstogetherTheywerenotfloodedbytheLeeba，forthatwasstillfarwithinitsbanksHereandthere，dottedoverthesurface，arelittleislands，onwhichgrowstunteddate-bushesandscraggytreesTheplainsthemselvesarecoveredwithathickswardofgrass，whichconcealsthewater，andmakestheflatsappearlikegreatpaleyellow-coloredprairie-lands，withaclearhorizon，exceptwhereinterruptedhereandtherebytreesTheclearrain-watermusthavestoodsometimeamongthegrass，forgreatnumbersoflotus-flowerswereseeninfullblow；andtherunsofwatertortoisesandcrabswereobserved；otheranimalsalso，whichpreyonthefishthatfindtheirwaytotheplains。
Thecontinualsplashingoftheoxenkeepsthefeetoftheriderconstantlywet，andmymencomplainoftheperpetualmoistureofthepathsbywhichwehavetraveledinLondaassofteningtheirhornysoles。
TheonlyinformationwecangleanisfromIntemese，whopointsoutthedifferentlocalitiesaswepassalong，andamongtherest“MokalaaMama“，his“mamma’shome“Itwasinterestingtohearthistallgray-headedmanrecallthememoriesofboyhood。
AlltheMakalakachildrencleavetothemotherincasesofseparation，orremovalfromonepartofthecountrytoanotherThisloveformothersdoesnotarguesuperiormoralityinotherrespects，orelseIntemesehasforgottenanyinjunctionshismammamayhavegivenhimnottotelllies。
Therespect，however，withwhichhespokeofherwasquitecharacteristicofhisraceTheBechuanas，onthecontrary，carenothingfortheirmothers，butclingtotheirfathers，especiallyiftheyhaveanyexpectationofbecomingheirstotheircattle。
OurBakwainguidetothelake，Rachosi，toldmethathismotherlivedinthecountryofSebituane，but，thoughagoodspecimenoftheBechuanas，helaughedattheideaofgoingsofarasfromtheLakeNgamitotheChobemerelyforthepurposeofseeingherHadhebeenoneoftheMakalaka，heneverwouldhavepartedfromher。
Wemadeourbedsononeoftheislands，andwerewretchedlysuppliedwithfirewoodTheboothsconstructedbythemenwerebutsorryshelter，fortherainpoureddownwithoutintermissiontillmidday。
Thereisnodrainagefortheprodigiousmassesofwaterontheseplains，exceptslowpercolationintothedifferentfeedersoftheLeeba，andintothatriveritselfThequantityofvegetationhaspreventedthecountryfrombecomingfurrowedbymanyrivuletsor“nullahs“。
Wereitnotsoremarkablyflat，thedrainagemusthavebeeneffectedbytorrents，eveninspiteofthemattedvegetation。
Thattheseextensiveplainsarecoveredwithgrassesonly，andthelittleislandswithbutscraggytrees，maybeaccountedforbythefact，observableeverywhereinthiscountry，that，wherewaterstandsforanylengthoftime，treescannotlive。
Thewantofspeedydrainagedestroysthem，andinjuresthegrowthofthosethatareplantedontheislands，fortheyhavenodepthofearthnotsubjectedtothesouringinfluenceofthestagnantwater。
TheplainsofLobale，tothewestofthese，aresaidtobemuchmoreextensivethananywesaw，andtheirvegetationpossessessimilarpeculiarities。
Whenthestagnantrain-waterhasallsoakedin，asmusthappenduringthemonthsinwhichthereisnorain，travelersareevenputtostraitsforwantofwaterThisisstatedonnativetestimony；butIcanverywellbelievethatlevelplains，inwhichneitherwellsnorgulliesaremetwith，may，afterthedryseason，presenttheoppositeextremetowhatwewitnessed。
Water，however，couldalwaysbegotbydigging，aproofofwhichwehadonourreturnwhenbroughttoastandonthisveryplainbyseverefever：
abouttwelvemilesfromtheKasaimymendugdownafewfeet，andfoundanabundantsupply；andwesawononeoftheislandsthegardenofamanwho，inthedryseason，haddrunkwaterfromawellinlikemannerPlainslikethesecannotbeinhabitedwhilethepresentsystemofcultivationlastsThepopulationisnotyetsoverylargeastoneedthemTheyfindgarden-groundenoughonthegentleslopesatthesidesoftherivulets，andpossessnocattletoeatoffthemillionsofacresoffinehaywewerenowwadingthrough。
AnyonewhohasvisitedtheCapeColonywillunderstandmewhenIsaythattheseimmensecropsresemblesowngrassesmorethanthetuftyvegetationofthesouth。
Iwouldhererequesttheparticularattentionofthereadertothephenomenatheseperiodicallydelugedplainspresent，becausetheyhaveamostimportantbearingonthephysicalgeographyofaverylargeportionofthiscountry。
TheplainsofLobale，tothewestofthis，giverisetoagreatmanystreams，whichunite，andformthedeep，never-failingChobeSimilarextensiveflatsgivebirthtotheLoetiandKasai，and，asweshallseefurtheron，alltheriversofanextensiveregionowetheirorigintooozingbogs，andnottofountains。
Whenreleasedfromourislandbytherainceasing，wemarchedontillwecametoaridgeofdryinhabitedlandintheN。W。
Theinhabitants，accordingtocustom，lentustheroofsofsomehutstosavethementhetroubleofbooth-makingIsuspectthatthestoryinPark’s“Travels“，ofthemenliftingupthehuttoplaceitonthelion，referredtotheroofonlyWeleavethemforthevillagerstoreplaceattheirleisureNopaymentisexpectedfortheuseofthem。
Bynightitrainedsocopiouslythatallourbedswerefloodedfrombelow；
andfromthistimeforthwealwaysmadeafurrowroundeachbooth，andusedtheearthtoraiseoursleeping-placesMymenturnedouttoworkinthewetmostwillingly；indeed，theyalwaysdid。
IcouldnotbutcontrasttheirconductwiththatofIntemese。
Hewasthoroughlyimbuedwiththeslavespirit，andliedonalloccasionswithoutcompunctionUntruthfulnessisasortofrefugefortheweakandoppressedWeexpectedtomoveonthe4th，buthedeclaredthatweweresonearKatema’s，ifwedidnotsendforwardtoapprisethatchiefofourapproach，hewouldcertainlyimposeafine。