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
Several days were spent in collecting canoes from different villages on
the river, which we now learned is called by the whole of the Barotse
the Liambai or Leeambye. This we could not ascertain on our first visit,
and, consequently, called the river after the town "Sesheke". This term
Sesheke means "white sand-banks", many of which exist at this part.
There is another village in the valley of the Barotse likewise called
Sesheke, and for the same reason; but the term Leeambye means "the
large river", or the river PAR EXCELLENCE. Luambeji, Luambesi, Ambezi,
Ojimbesi, and Zambesi, etc., are names applied to it at different
parts of its course, according to the dialect spoken, and all possess a
similar signification, and express the native idea of this magnificent
stream being the main drain of the country.
In order to assist in the support of our large party, and at the same
time to see the adjacent country, I went several times, during our stay,
to the north of the village for game. The country is covered with clumps
of beautiful trees, among which fine open glades stretch away in every
direction; when the river is in flood these are inundated, but the
tree-covered elevated spots are much more numerous here than in the
country between the Chobe and the Leeambye. The soil is dark loam, as it
is every where on spots reached by the inundation, while among the trees
it is sandy, and not covered so densely with grass as elsewhere. A sandy
ridge covered with trees, running parallel to, and about eight miles
from the river, is the limit of the inundation on the north; there are
large tracts of this sandy forest in that direction, till you come to
other districts of alluvial soil and fewer trees. The latter soil is
always found in the vicinity of rivers which either now overflow their
banks annually, or formerly did so. The people enjoy rain in sufficient
quantity to raise very large supplies of grain and ground-nuts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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