Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa

Chapter 1. the Bakwain Country--Study of the Language--Native

Ideas regarding Comets--Mabotsa Station--A Lion Encounter-- Virus of the Teeth of Lions--Names of the Bechuana Tribes-- Sechele--His Ancestors--Obtains the Chieftainship--His Marriage and Government--The Kotla--First public Religious Services--Sechele's Questions--He Learns to Read--Novel mode for Converting his Tribe--Surprise at their Indifference-- Polygamy--Baptism of Sechele--Opposition of the Natives-- Purchase Land at Chonuane--Relations with the People--Their Intelligence--Prolonged Drought--Consequent Trials--Rain- medicine--God's Word blamed--Native Reasoning--Rain-maker-- Dispute between Rain Doctor and Medical Doctor--The Hunting Hopo--Salt or animal Food a necessary of Life--Duties of a Missionary.

Chapter 2. the Boers--Their Treatment of the Natives--Seizure

of native Children for Slaves--English Traders--Alarm of the Boers--Native Espionage--The Tale of the Cannon--The Boers threaten Sechele--In violation of Treaty, they stop English Traders and expel Missionaries--They attack the Bakwains-- Their Mode of Fighting--The Natives killed and the School- children carried into Slavery--Destruction of English Property--African Housebuilding and Housekeeping--Mode of Spending the Day--Scarcity of Food--Locusts--Edible Frogs-- Scavenger Beetle--Continued Hostility of the Boers--The Journey north--Preparations--Fellow-travelers--The Kalahari Desert--Vegetation--Watermelons--The Inhabitants--The Bushmen- -Their nomad Mode of Life--Appearance--The Bakalahari--Their Love for Agriculture and for domestic Animals--Timid Character--Mode of obtaining Water--Female Water-suckers--The Desert--Water hidden.

Chapter 3. 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.

Chapter 4. Leave Kolobeng Again for the Country of Sebituane--

Reach the Zouga--The Tsetse--A Party of Englishmen--Death of Mr. Rider--Obtain Guides--Children fall sick with Fever-- Relinquish the Attempt to reach Sebituane--Mr. 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.

Chapter 5. Start in June, 1852, on the Last and Longest

Journey from Cape Town--Companions--Wagon-traveling--Physical Divisions of Africa--The Eastern, Central, and Western Zones-- The Kalahari Desert--Its Vegetation--Increasing Value of the Interior for Colonization--Our Route--Dutch Boers--Their Habits--Sterile Appearance of the District--Failure of Grass-- Succeeded by other Plants--Vines--Animals--The Boers as Farmers--Migration of Springbucks--Wariness of Animals--The Orange River--Territory of the Griquas and Bechuanas--The Griquas--The Chief Waterboer--His wise and energetic Government--His Fidelity--Ill-considered Measures of the Colonial Government in regard to Supplies of Gunpowder-- Success of the Missionaries among the Griquas and Bechuanas-- Manifest Improvement of the native Character--Dress of the Natives--A full-dress Costume--A Native's Description of the Natives--Articles of Commerce in the Country of the Bechuanas-- Their Unwillingness to learn, and Readiness to criticise.

Chapter 6. Kuruman--Its Fine Fountain--Vegetation of the

District--Remains of ancient Forests--Vegetable Poison--The Bible translated by Mr. Moffat--Capabilities of the Language-- Christianity among the Natives--The Missionaries should extend their Labors more beyond the Cape Colony--Model Christians-- Disgraceful Attack of the Boers on the Bakwains--Letter from Sechele--Details of the Attack--Numbers of School-children carried away into Slavery--Destruction of House and Property at Kolobeng--The Boers vow Vengeance against me--Consequent Difficulty of getting Servants to accompany me on my Journey-- Start in November, 1852--Meet Sechele on his way to England to obtain Redress from the Queen--He is unable to proceed beyond the Cape--Meet Mr. Macabe on his Return from Lake Ngami--The hot Wind of the Desert--Electric State of the Atmosphere-- Flock of Swifts--Reach Litubaruba--The Cave Lepelole-- Superstitions regarding it--Impoverished State of the Bakwains--Retaliation on the Boers--Slavery--Attachment of the Bechuanas to Children--Hydrophobia unknown--Diseases of the Bakwains few in number--Yearly Epidemics--Hasty Burials-- Ophthalmia--Native Doctors--Knowledge of Surgery at a very low Ebb--Little Attendance given to Women at their Confinements-- The "Child Medicine"--Salubrity of the Climate well adapted for Invalids suffering from pulmonary Complaints.

Chapter 7. Departure From the Country of the Bakwains--Large

black Ant--Land Tortoises--Diseases of wild Animals--Habits of old Lions--Cowardice of the Lion--Its Dread of a Snare--Major Vardon's Note--The Roar of the Lion resembles the Cry of the Ostrich--Seldom attacks full-grown Animals--Buffaloes and Lions--Mice--Serpents--Treading on one--Venomous and harmless Varieties--Fascination--Sekomi's Ideas of Honesty--Ceremony of the Sechu for Boys--The Boyale for young Women--Bamangwato Hills--The Unicorn's Pass--The Country beyond--Grain--Scarcity of Water--Honorable Conduct of English Gentlemen--Gordon Cumming's hunting Adventures--A Word of Advice for young Sportsmen--Bushwomen drawing Water--Ostrich--Silly Habit-- Paces--Eggs--Food.

Chapter 8. Effects of Missionary Efforts--Belief in the Deity--

Ideas of the Bakwains on Religion--Departure from their Country--Salt-pans--Sour Curd--Nchokotsa--Bitter Waters-- Thirst suffered by the wild Animals--Wanton Cruelty in Hunting--Ntwetwe--Mowana-trees--Their extraordinary Vitality-- The Mopane-tree--The Morala--The Bushmen--Their Superstitions-- Elephant-hunting--Superiority of civilized over barbarous Sportsmen--The Chief Kaisa--His Fear of Responsibility--Beauty of the Country at Unku--The Mohonono Bush--Severe Labor in cutting our Way--Party seized with Fever--Escape of our Cattle--Bakwain Mode of recapturing them--Vagaries of sick Servants--Discovery of grape-bearing Vines--An Ant-eater-- Difficulty of passing through the Forest--Sickness of my Companion--The Bushmen--Their Mode of destroying Lions-- Poisons--The solitary Hill--A picturesque Valley--Beauty of the Country--Arrive at the Sanshureh River--The flooded Prairies--A pontooning Expedition--A night Bivouac--The Chobe-- Arrive at the Village of Moremi--Surprise of the Makololo at our sudden Appearance--Cross the Chobe on our way to Linyanti.

Chapter 9. Reception At Linyanti--the Court Herald--Sekeletu

obtains the Chieftainship from his Sister--Mpepe's Plot-- Slave-trading Mambari--Their sudden Flight--Sekeletu narrowly escapes Assassination--Execution of Mpepe--The Courts of Law-- Mode of trying Offenses--Sekeletu's Reason for not learning to read the Bible--The Disposition made of the Wives of a deceased Chief--Makololo Women--They work but little--Employ Serfs--Their Drink, Dress, and Ornaments--Public Religious Services in the Kotla--Unfavorable Associations of the place-- Native Doctors--Proposals to teach the Makololo to read-- Sekeletu's Present--Reason for accepting it--Trading in Ivory-- Accidental Fire--Presents for Sekeletu--Two Breeds of native Cattle--Ornamenting the Cattle--The Women and the Looking- glass--Mode of preparing the Skins of Oxen for Mantles and for Shields--Throwing the Spear.

Chapter 10. the Fever--Its Symptoms--Remedies of the Native

Doctors--Hospitality of Sekeletu and his People--One of their Reasons for Polygamy--They cultivate largely--The Makalaka or subject Tribes--Sebituane's Policy respecting them--Their Affection for him--Products of the Soil--Instrument of Culture--The Tribute--Distributed by the Chief--A warlike Demonstration--Lechulatebe's Provocations--The Makololo determine to punish him--The Bechuanas--Meaning of the Term-- Three Divisions of the great Family of South Africans.

Chapter 11. 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.

Chapter 12. Procure Canoes and Ascend the Leeambye--Beautiful

Islands--Winter Landscape--Industry and Skill of the Banyeti-- Rapids--Falls of Gonye--Tradition--Annual Inundations-- Fertility of the great Barotse Valley--Execution of two Conspirators--The Slave-dealer's Stockade--Naliele, the Capital, built on an artificial Mound--Santuru, a great Hunter--The Barotse Method of commemorating any remarkable Event--Better Treatment of Women--More religious Feeling-- Belief in a future State, and in the Existence of spiritual Beings--Gardens--Fish, Fruit, and Game--Proceed to the Limits of the Barotse Country--Sekeletu provides Rowers and a Herald-- The River and Vicinity--Hippopotamus-hunters--No healthy Location--Determine to go to Loanda--Buffaloes, Elands, and Lions above Libonta--Interview with the Mambari--Two Arabs from Zanzibar--Their Opinion of the Portuguese and the English --Reach the Town of Ma-Sekeletu--Joy of the People at the first Visit of their Chief--Return to Sesheke--Heathenism.

Chapter 13. Preliminary Arrangements for the Journey--a Picho--

Twenty-seven Men appointed to accompany me to the West-- Eagerness of the Makololo for direct Trade with the Coast-- Effects of Fever--A Makololo Question--The lost Journal-- Reflections--The Outfit for the Journey--11th November, 1853, leave Linyanti, and embark on the Chobe--Dangerous Hippopotami--Banks of Chobe--Trees--The Course of the River-- The Island Mparia at the Confluence of the Chobe and the Leeambye--Anecdote--Ascend the Leeambye--A Makalaka Mother defies the Authority of the Makololo Head Man at Sesheke-- Punishment of Thieves--Observance of the new Moon--Public Addresses at Sesheke--Attention of the People--Results-- Proceed up the River--The Fruit which yields 'Nux vomica'-- Other Fruits--The Rapids--Birds--Fish--Hippopotami and their Young.

Chapter 14. Increasing Beauty of the Country--Mode of Spending

the Day--The People and the Falls of Gonye--A Makololo Foray-- A second prevented, and Captives delivered up--Politeness and Liberality of the People--The Rains--Present of Oxen--The fugitive Barotse--Sekobinyane's Misgovernment--Bee-eaters and other Birds--Fresh-water Sponges--Current--Death from a Lion's Bite at Libonta--Continued Kindness--Arrangements for spending the Night during the Journey--Cooking and Washing--Abundance of animal Life--Different Species of Birds--Water-fowl-- Egyptian Geese--Alligators--Narrow Escape of one of my Men-- Superstitious Feelings respecting the Alligator--Large Game-- The most vulnerable Spot--Gun Medicine--A Sunday--Birds of Song--Depravity; its Treatment--Wild Fruits--Green Pigeons-- Shoals of Fish--Hippopotami.

Chapter 15. Message to Masiko, the Barotse Chief, Regarding

the Captives--Navigation of the Leeambye--Capabilities of this District--The Leeba--Flowers and Bees--Buffalo-hunt--Field for a Botanist--Young Alligators; their savage Nature--Suspicion of the Balonda--Sekelenke's Present--A Man and his two Wives-- Hunters--Message from Manenko, a female Chief--Mambari Traders--A Dream--Sheakondo and his People--Teeth-filing-- Desire for Butter--Interview with Nyamoana, another female Chief--Court Etiquette--Hair versus Wool--Increase of Superstition--Arrival of Manenko; her Appearance and Husband-- Mode of Salutation--Anklets--Embassy, with a Present from Masiko--Roast Beef--Manioc--Magic Lantern--Manenko an accomplished Scold: compels us to wait--Unsuccessful Zebra- hunt.

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