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Departure from Kolobeng, 1st June, 1849 Companions Our Route Abundance of Grass Serotli, a Fountain in the Desert Mode of digging Wells The Eland Animals of the Desert The Hyaena The Chief Sekomi Dangers The wandering Guide Cross Purposes Slow Progress Want of Water Capture of a Bushwoman The Salt-pan at Nchokotsa The Mirage Reach the River Zouga The Quakers of Africa Discovery of Lake Ngami, 1st August, 1849 Its Extent Small Depth of Water Position as the Reservoir of a great River System The Bamangwato and their Chief Desire to visit Sebituane, the Chief of the Makololo Refusal of Lechulatebe to furnish us with Guides Resolve to return to the Cape The Banks of the Zouga Pitfalls Trees of the District Elephants New Species of Antelope Fish in the Zouga.
Instead of the dreary prospect around Koobe and Nchokotsa, we had here a delightful scene, all the ponds full of water, and the birds twittering joyfully. As the game can now obtain water every where, they become very shy, and can not be found in their accustomed haunts.
At Nchokotsa, the rainy season having this year been delayed beyond the usual time, we found during the day the thermometer stand at 96 Deg. in the coolest possible shade. This height at Kolobeng always portended rain at hand.
At Nchokotsa we came upon the first of a great number of salt-pans, covered with an efflorescence of lime, probably the nitrate. Oswell threw his hat up in the air at the sight, and shouted out a huzza which made the poor Bushwoman and the Bakwains think him mad.
Sekomi, however, was more than usually gracious, and even furnished us with a guide, but no one knew the path beyond Nchokotsa which we intended to follow. When we reached that point, we found that the main spring of the gun of another of his men, who was well acquainted with the Bushmen, through whose country we should pass, had opportunely broken.
She thought herself captured, and began to deliver up her poor little property, consisting of a few traps made of cords; but, when I explained that we only wanted water, and would pay her if she led us to it, she consented to conduct us to a spring. It was then late in the afternoon, but she walked briskly before our horses for eight miles, and showed us the water of Nchokotsa.
Oswell's Elephant-hunting Return to Kolobeng Make a third Start thence Reach Nchokotsa Salt-pans "Links", or Springs Bushmen Our Guide Shobo The Banajoa An ugly Chief The Tsetse Bite fatal to domestic Animals, but harmless to wild Animals and Man Operation of the Poison Losses caused by it The Makololo Our Meeting with Sebituane Sketch of his Career His Courage and Conquests Manoeuvres of the Batoka He outwits them His Wars with the Matebele Predictions of a native Prophet Successes of the Makololo Renewed Attacks of the Matebele The Island of Loyelo Defeat of the Matebele Sebituane's Policy His Kindness to Strangers and to the Poor His sudden Illness and Death Succeeded by his Daughter Her Friendliness to us Discovery, in June, 1851, of the Zambesi flowing in the Centre of the Continent Its Size The Mambari The Slave-trade Determine to send Family to England Return to the Cape in April, 1852 Safe Transit through the Caffre Country during Hostilities Need of a "Special Correspondent" Kindness of the London Missionary Society Assistance afforded by the Astronomer Royal at the Cape.
All around Nchokotsa the country looked parched, and the glare from the white efflorescence which covers the extensive pans on all sides was most distressing to the eyes. The water of Nchokotsa was bitter, and presented indications not to be mistaken of having passed through animal systems before. All these waters contain nitrates, which stimulate the kidneys and increase the thirst.
The level of the lower portion of the Lekone is about two hundred feet above that of the Zambesi at the falls, and considerably more than the altitude of Linyanti; consequently, when the river flowed along this ancient bed instead of through the rent, the whole country between this and the ridge beyond Libebe westward, Lake Ngami and the Zouga southward, and eastward beyond Nchokotsa, was one large fresh-water lake.
Here not a particle of imagination was necessary for realizing the exact picture of large collections of water; the waves danced along above, and the shadows of the trees were vividly reflected beneath the surface in such an admirable manner, that the loose cattle, whose thirst had not been slaked sufficiently by the very brackish water of Nchokotsa, with the horses, dogs, and even the Hottentots ran off toward the deceitful pools.
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