Missionary Travels and Researches in South AfricaLivingstone, David
Religion
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
Livingstone, David
Missions -- South Africa; South Africa -- Description and travel
Departure from Linyanti for Sesheke--Level Country--Ant-hills--Wild
Date-trees--Appearance of our Attendants on the March--The Chief's
Guard--They attempt to ride on Ox-back--Vast Herds of the
new Antelopes, Leches, and Nakongs--The native way of hunting
them--Reception at the Villages--Presents of Beer and Milk--Eating with
the Hand--The Chief provides the Oxen for Slaughter--Social Mode
of Eating--The Sugar-cane--Sekeletu's novel Test of Character--
Cleanliness of Makololo Huts--Their Construction and Appearance--The
Beds--Cross the Leeambye--Aspect of this part of the Country--The small
Antelope Tianyane unknown in the South--Hunting on foot--An Eland.
Having waited a month at Linyanti (lat. 18d 17' 20" S., long. 23d 50'
9" E.), we again departed, for the purpose of ascending the river from
Sesheke (lat. 17d 31' 38" S., long. 25d 13' E.). To the Barotse country,
the capital of which is Nariele or Naliele (lat. 15d 24' 17" S., long.
23d 5' 54" E.), I went in company with Sekeletu and about one hundred
and sixty attendants. We had most of the young men with us, and many of
the under-chiefs besides. The country between Linyanti and Sesheke
is perfectly flat, except patches elevated only a few feet above
the surrounding level. There are also many mounds where the gigantic
ant-hills of the country have been situated or still appear: these
mounds are evidently the work of the termites. No one who has not
seen their gigantic structures can fancy the industry of these little
laborers; they seem to impart fertility to the soil which has once
passed through their mouths, for the Makololo find the sides of
ant-hills the choice spots for rearing early maize, tobacco, or any
thing on which they wish to bestow especial care. In the parts through
which we passed the mounds are generally covered with masses of wild
date-trees; the fruit is small, and no tree is allowed to stand long,
for, having abundance of food, the Makololo have no inclination to
preserve wild fruit-trees; accordingly, when a date shoots up to seed,
as soon as the fruit is ripe they cut down the tree rather than be at
the trouble of climbing it. The other parts of the more elevated land
have the camel-thorn ('Acacia giraffae'), white-thorned mimosa ('Acacia
horrida'), and baobabs. In sandy spots there are palmyras somewhat
similar to the Indian, but with a smaller seed. The soil on all the flat
parts is a rich, dark, tenacious loam, known as the "cotton-ground" in
India; it is covered with a dense matting of coarse grass, common on
all damp spots in this country. We had the Chobe on our right, with its
scores of miles of reed occupying the horizon there. It was pleasant to
look back on the long-extended line of our attendants, as it twisted and
bent according to the curves of the footpath, or in and out behind the
mounds, the ostrich feathers of the men waving in the wind. Some had the
white ends of ox-tails on their heads, Hussar fashion, and others great
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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