AfterleavingCabangoonthe21st，wecrossedseverallittlestreamsrunningintotheChihomboonourleft，andinoneofthemIsawtreeferns`Cyatheadregei’forthefirsttimeinAfrica。
Thetrunkwasaboutfourfeethighandteninchesindiameter。
Wesawalsograsstreesoftwovarieties，which，indamplocalities，hadattainedaheightoffortyfeetOncrossingtheChihombo，whichwedidabouttwelvemilesaboveCabango，wefounditwaist-deepandrapid。
WeweredelightedtoseetheevidencesofbuffaloandhippopotamionitsbanksAssoonaswegotawayfromthetrackoftheslave-traders，themorekindlyspiritofthesouthernBalondaappeared，foranoldmanbroughtalargepresentoffoodfromoneofthevillages，andvolunteeredtogoasguidehimselfThepeople，however，ofthenumerousvillageswhichwepassedalwaysmadeeffortstodetainus，thattheymighthavealittletradeinthewayoffurnishingoursuppers。
Atonevillage，indeed，theywouldnotshowusthepathatallunlessweremainedatleastadaywiththemHavingrefused，wetookapathinthedirectionweoughttogo，butitledusintoaninextricablethicketReturningtothevillageagain，wetriedanotherfootpathinasimilardirection，butthisledusintoanequallyimpassableandtracklessforestWewerethusforcedtocomebackandremainInthefollowingmorningtheyputusintheproperpath，whichinafewhoursledusthroughaforestthatwouldotherwisehavetakenusdaystopenetrate。
BeyondthisforestwefoundthevillageofNyakalonga，asisterofthelateMatiamvo，whotreatedushandsomelyShewishedherpeopletoguideustothenextvillage，butthistheydeclinedunlessweengagedintradeShethenrequestedustowaitanhourortwotillshecouldgetreadyapresentofmeal，maniocroots，ground-nuts，andafowlItwastrulypleasanttomeetwithpeoplepossessingsomecivility，afterthehauteurwehadexperiencedontheslave-pathShesenthersontothenextvillagewithoutrequiringpaymentThestreamwhichranpasthervillagewasquiteimpassablethere，andforadistanceofaboutamileoneitherside，thebogbeingsoftandshaky，and，whenthecrustwasbrokenthrough，aboutsixfeetdeep。
Onthe28thwereachedthevillageofthechiefBangolat12d22’53“S。，long20d58’E。，whobroughtusahandsomepresentofmeal，andthemeatofanentirepallahWehereslaughteredthelastofthecowspresentedtousbyMrSchut，whichIhadkeptmilkeduntilitgaveonlyateaspoonfulatatimeMymenenjoyedaheartylaughwhentheyfoundthatIhadgivenupallhopeofmore，fortheyhadbeentalkingamongthemselvesaboutmyperseverance。
WeofferedalegofthecowtoBango，butheinformedusthatneitherhenorhispeopleeverpartookofbeef，astheylookeduponcattleashuman，andlivingathomelikemen。
Noneofhispeoplepurchasedanyofthemeat，whichwasalwayseagerlydoneeverywhereelseThereareseveralothertribeswhorefusetokeepcattle，thoughnottoeatthemwhenofferedbyothers，because，saythey，oxenbringenemiesandwar；butthisisthefirstinstanceIhavemetwithinwhichtheyhavebeenrefusedasfoodThefactofkillingthepallahsforfoodshowsthattheobjectiondoesnotextendtomeatingeneral。
Thelittlestreamsinthispartofthecountrydidnotflowindeepdells，norwerewetroubledwiththegiganticgrasseswhichannoyedoureyesontheslopesofthestreamsbeforewecametoCabango。
Thecountrywasquiteflat，andthepeoplecultivatedmaniocveryextensively。
Thereisnolargecollectionoftheinhabitantsinanyonespot。
Theambitionofeachseemstobetohavehisownlittlevillage；andweseemanycomingfromdistantpartswiththefleshofbuffaloesandantelopesasthetributeclaimedbyBangoWehavenowenteredagainthecountryofthegame，buttheyaresoexceedinglyshythatwehavenotyetseenasingleanimalThearrangementintomanyvillagespleasestheAfricansvastly，foreveryonewhohasafewhutsunderhimfeelshimselfinsomemeasuretobeachiefThecountryatthistimeiscoveredwithyellowishgrassquitedrySomeofthebushesandtreesaregreen；othersaresheddingtheirleaves，theyoungbudspushingofftheoldfoliageTrees，whichinthesouthstandbareduringthewintermonths，haveherebutashortperiodofleaflessness。
Occasionally，however，acoldnorthwindcomesupevenasfarasCabango，andspreadsawintryaspectonalltheexposedvegetation。
Thetendershootsoftheevergreentreesonthesouthsidebecomeasifscorched；theleavesofmanioc，pumpkins，andothertenderplantsarekilled；whilethesamekinds，inspotsshelteredbyforests，continuegreenthroughthewholeyearAlltheinteriorofSouthAfricahasadistinctwinterofcold，varyinginintensitywiththelatitudes。
InthecentralpartsoftheCapeColonythecoldinthewinterisoftensevere，andthegroundiscoveredwithsnowAtKurumansnowseldomfalls，butthefrostiskeenThereisfrostevenasfarastheChobe，andapartialwinterintheBarotsevalley，butbeyondtheOrangeRiverweneverhavecoldanddampcombined。
Indeed，ashowerofrainseldomorneverfallsduringwinter，andhencethehealthinessoftheBechuanaclimateFromtheBarotsevalleynorthwarditisquestionableifiteverfreezes；but，duringtheprevalenceofthesouthwind，thethermometersinksaslowas42Deg。，andconveystheimpressionofbittercold。
NothingcanexceedthebeautyofthechangefromthewintryappearancetothatofspringatKolobengPrevioustothecommencementoftherains，aneasterlywindblowsstronglybyday，butdiesawayatnight。
Thecloudscollectinincreasingmasses，andrelieveinsomemeasurethebrightglareofthesouthernsunThewinddriesupeverything，andwhenatitsgreateststrengthishot，andraisescloudsofdust。
Thegeneraltemperatureduringthedayrisesabove96Deg。：
thenshowersbegintofall；andifthegroundisbutoncewellsoakedwithagoodday’srain，thechangeproducedismarvelous。
Inadayortwoatingeofgreenisapparentalloverthelandscape，andinfiveorsixdaysthefreshleavessproutingforth，andtheyounggrassshootingup，giveanappearanceofspringwhichitrequiresweeksofacolderclimatetoproduceThebirds，whichinthehot，dry，windyseasonhadbeensilent，nowburstforthintomerrytwitteringsongs，andarebusybuildingtheirnestsSomeofthem，indeed，hatchseveraltimesayearTheloweringofthetemperature，byrainsorothercauses，hasmuchthesameeffectastheincreasingmildnessofourownspringTheearthteemswithmyriadsofyounginsects；
insomepartsofthecountryhundredsofcentipedes，myriapedes，andbeetlesemergefromtheirhiding-places，somewhatasoursnailsathomedo；
andintheeveningsthewhiteantsswarmbythousandsAstreamofthemisseentorushoutofahole，and，afterflyingoneortwohundredyards，theydescend；andiftheylightuponapieceofsoilproperforthecommencementofanewcolony，theybenduptheirtails，unhooktheirwings，and，leavingthemonthesurface，quicklybegintheirminingoperationsIfanattemptismadetoseparatethewingsfromthebodybydrawingthemawaybackward，theyseemasifhookedintothebody，andtearawaylargeportionsoftheinsect；
butifturnedforward，astheantitselfdoes，theysnapoffwiththegreatesteaseIndeed，theyseemformedonlytoservetheinsectinitsshortflighttoanewhabitation，andthentobethrownaside。
Nothingcanexceedtheeagernesswithwhich，atthepropertime，theyrushoutfromtheirbirth-placeOccasionallythisoccursinahouse，andthen，inordertopreventeverycornerfrombeingfilledwiththem，Ihaveseenafireplacedovertheorifice；buttheyhesitatenoteventopassthroughthefireWhileswarmingtheyappearlikesnow-flakesfloatingaboutintheair，anddogs，cats，hawks，andalmosteverybird，maybeseenbusilydevouringthemThenatives，too，profitbytheoccasion，andactivelycollectthemforfood，theybeingabouthalfaninchlong，asthickasacrow-quill，andveryfatWhenroastedtheyaresaidtobegood，andsomewhatresemblegrainsofboiledrice。
AnideamaybeformedofthisdishbywhatonceoccurredonthebanksoftheZougaTheBayeiyechiefPalanivisitinguswhileeating，Igavehimapieceofbreadandpreservedapricots；andasheseemedtorelishitmuch，Iaskedhimifhehadanyfoodequaltothatinhiscountry“Ah！”saidhe，“didyouevertastewhiteants？”
AsIneverhad，hereplied，“Well，ifyouhad，younevercouldhavedesiredtoeatanythingbetter。”Thegeneralwayofcatchingthemistodigintotheant-hill，andwaittillthebuilderscomeforthtorepairthedamage，thenbrushthemoffquicklyintoavessel，astheant-eaterdoesintohismouth。
Thefalloftherainmakesallthecattlelookfreshandclean，andbothmenandwomenproceedcheerilytotheiralreadyhoedgardens，andsowtheseedThelargeanimalsinthecountryleavethespotswheretheyhadbeencompelledtocongregateforthesakeofwater，andbecomemuchwilderOccasionallyaherdofbuffaloesorantelopessmellrainfromafar，andsetoffinastraightlinetowardtheplace。
Sometimestheymakemistakes，andareobligedtoreturntothewatertheyhadleft。
Verylargetractsofcountryaredenudedofoldgrassduringthewinterbymeansoffire，inordertoattractthegametothatwhichtherespringsupunmixedwiththeoldercropThisnewherbagehasarenovatingtendency，foraslongastheyfeedonthedrygrassoftheformerseasontheycontinueingoodcondition；butnosooneraretheyabletoindulgetheirappetitesonthefreshherbage，thaneventhemarrowintheirbonesbecomesdissolved，andared，soft，uneatablemassisleftbehind。
Afterthiscommencestheworkofregainingtheirformerplumpness。
MAY30THWeleftBango，andproceededtotheRiverLoembwe，whichflowstotheN。N。E。，andaboundsinhippopotami。
Itisaboutsixtyyardswide，andfourfeetdeep，butusuallycontainsmuchlesswaterthanthis，fortherearefishing-weirsplacedrightacrossit。
LikealltheAfricanriversinthisquarter，ithasmorassesoneachbank，yetthevalleyinwhichitwinds，whenseenfromthehighlandsabove，isextremelybeautifulThisvalleyisaboutthefourthofamilewide，anditwaseasytofancythesimilarityofmanyspotsonittothegoodlymanorsinourowncountry，andfeelassuredthattherewasstillampleterritoryleftforanindefiniteincreaseoftheworld’spopulation。
Thevillagesarewidelyapartanddifficultofaccess，fromthepathsbeingsocoveredwithtallgrassthatevenanoxcanscarcelyfollowthetrack。
Thegrasscutsthefeetofthemen；yetwemetawomanwithalittlechild，andagirl，wendingtheirwayhomewithloadsofmanioc。
Thesightofawhitemanalwaysinfusesatremorintotheirdarkbosoms，andineverycaseofthekindtheyappearedimmenselyrelievedwhenIhadfairlypassedwithouthavingsprunguponthem。
Inthevillagesthedogsrunawaywiththeirtailsbetweentheirlegs，asiftheyhadseenalionThewomenpeerfrombehindthewallstillhecomesnearthem，andthenhastilydashintothehouse。
Whenalittlechild，unconsciousofdanger，meetsyouinthestreet，hesetsupascreamattheapparition，andconveystheimpressionthatheisnotfarfromgoingintofitsAmongtheBechuanasIhavebeenobligedtoreprovethewomenformakingahobgoblinofthewhiteman，andtellingtheirchildrenthattheywouldsendforhimtobitethem。
HavingpassedtheLoembwe，wewereinamoreopencountry，witheveryfewhoursasmallvalley，throughwhichranalittlerillinthemiddleofabogThesewerealwaysdifficulttopass，andbeingnumerous，keptthelowerpartofthepersonconstantlywet。
AtdifferentpointsinourcoursewecameuponvotiveofferingstotheBarimo。
Theseusuallyconsistedoffood；andeverydesertedvillagestillcontainedtheidolsandlittleshedswithpotsofmedicineinthem。
OneafternoonwepassedasmallframehousewiththeheadofanoxinitasanobjectofworshipThedrearyuniformityofgloomyforestsandopenflatsmusthaveadepressinginfluenceonthemindsofthepeople。
Somevillagesappearmoresuperstitiousthanothers，ifwemayjudgefromthegreaternumberofidolstheycontain。
Onlyononeoccasiondidwewitnessaspecimenofquarreling。
Anoldwoman，standingbyourcamp，continuedtobelaboragood-lookingyoungmanforhourswithhertongueIrritatedatlast，heutteredsomewordsofimpatience，whenanothermansprangathim，exclaiming，“Howdareyoucursemy`Mama’？”Theycaughteachother，andasortofpushing，draggingwrestling-matchensued。