Itwasalwaysdifficulttogetourguidestomoveawayfromaplace。
　　Withtheauthorityofthechief，theyfeltascomfortableasking’smessengerscould，andwerenotdisposedtoforegothepleasureoflivingatfreequartersMyMakololofriendswerebutilldrilledasyet；andsincetheyhadneverlefttheirowncountrybefore，exceptforpurposesofplunder，theydidnottakereadilytothepeacefulsystemwenowmeanttofollow。
　　Theyeitherspoketooimperiouslytostrangers，or，whenreprovedforthat，weredisposedtofollowthedictationofeveryonewemet。
　　WhenIntemese，ourguide，refusedtostirtowardtheLeebaonthe31stofJanuary，theywouldmakenoefforttoinducehimtogo；
　　but，havingorderedthemtogetready，Intemesesawthepreparations，andsoonfollowedtheexampleIttookusaboutfourhourstocrosstheLeeba，whichisconsiderablysmallerherethanwhereweleftitindeed，onlyaboutahundredyardswide。
　　IthasthesamedarkmossyhueThevillagerslentuscanoestoeffectourpassage；and，havinggonetoavillageabouttwomilesbeyondtheriver，Ihadthesatisfactionofgettingobservationsforbothlongitudeandlatitudefortheformer，thedistancebetweenSaturnandtheMoon，andforthelatterameridianaltitudeofCanopus。
　　Long22d57’E。，lat12d6’6“S。
　　TheseweretheonlyopportunitiesIhadofascertainingmywhereaboutsinthispartofLondaAgainandagaindidItakeouttheinstruments，and，justasallwasright，thestarswouldbesuddenlyobscuredbyclouds。
　　Ihadneverobservedsogreatanamountofcloudinessinanypartofthesouthcountry；andasfortherains，IbelievethatyearsatKolobengwouldnothavemademylittletentsorottenandthinasonemonthhaddoneinLondaIneverobservedinthesouththeheavynightandearlymorningrainswehadinthiscountry。
　　Theyoftencontinuedallnight，thenbecameheavieraboutanhourbeforedawn。
　　Oriffairduringthenight，asdaydrewnigh，anextremelyheavy，still，pouringrainsetinwithoutwarningFiveoutofeverysixdayswehadthispouringrain，atornearbreakofday，formonthstogether；
　　anditsoonbeatmytentsothin，thatamistfellthroughonmyfaceandmadeeverythingdampTherainswereoccasionally，butnotalways，accompaniedwithveryloudthunder。
　　FEBRUARY1STThisdaywehadafineviewoftwohillscalledPiriPeeri，meaning“two“，onthesideoftheriverwehadleftThecountrythereisnamedMokwankwaAndthereIntemeseinformedusoneofShinte’schildrenwasborn，whenhewasinhisprogresssouthwardfromthecountryofMatiamvo。
　　ThispartofthecountrywouldthusseemnottohavebeeninhabitedbythepeopleofShinteatanyveryremoteperiodHetoldmehimselfthathehadcomeintohispresentcountrybycommandofMatiamvo。
　　HereweweresurprisedtohearEnglishcottonclothmuchmoreeagerlyinquiredafterthanbeadsandornamentsTheyaremoreinneedofclothingthantheBechuanatribeslivingadjacenttotheKalahariDesert，whohaveplentyofskinsforthepurposeAnimalsofallkindsarerarehere，andaverysmallpieceofcalicoisofgreatvalue。
　　Inthemidstoftheheavyrain，whichcontinuedallthemorning，Intemesesenttosayhewaslaidupwithpainsinthestomach，andmustnotbedisturbed；butwhenitclearedup，abouteleven，Isawourfriendwalkingofftothevillage，andtalkingwithaveryloudvoiceOnreproachinghimfortellinganuntruth，heturneditoffwithalaughbysayinghereallyhadacomplaintinhisstomach，whichImightcurebyslaughteringoneoftheoxenandallowinghimtoeatbeefHewasevidentlyrevelingintheabundanceofgoodfoodthechief’sordersbroughtus；
　　andhedidnotfeeltheshameIdidwhenIgaveafewbeadsonlyinreturnforlargebasketsofmeal。
　　Averyoldmanvisitedusherewithapresentofmaize：liketheothers，hehadneverbeforeseenawhiteman，and，whenconversingwithhim，someoftheyoungmenremarkedthattheywerethetrueancients，fortheyhadnowseenmorewonderfulthingsthantheirforefathers。
　　OneofIntemese’smenstoleafowlgivenmebyaladyofthevillage。
　　Whenchargedwiththetheft，everyoneofIntemese’spartyvociferatedhisinnocenceandindignationatbeingsuspected，continuingtheirloudasseverationsandgesticulationsforsomeminutes。
　　Oneofmymen，Loyanke，wentofftothevillage，broughttheladywhohadpresentedthefowltoidentifyit，andthenpointedtothehutinwhichitwashiddenTheBalondacollectedroundhim，evincinggreatwrath；butLoyankeseizedhisbattle-axeinthepropermannerforstriking，and，placinghimselfonalittlehillock，soonmadethemmoderatetheirtonesIntemesethencalledonmetosendoneofmypeopletosearchthehutsifIsuspectedhispeople。
　　Themansentsoonfoundit，andbroughtitout，totheconfusionofIntemeseandthelaughterofourpartyThisincidentismentionedtoshowthatthegreatersuperstitionwhichexistsheredoesnotleadtothepracticeofthevirtuesWenevermetaninstancelikethisoftheftfromawhitemanamongtheMakololo，thoughtheycomplainoftheMakalakaasaddictedtopilfering。
　　ThehonestyoftheBakwainshasbeenalreadynoticedProbablytheestimationinwhichIwasheldasapublicbenefactor，inwhichcharacterIwasnotyetknowntotheBalonda，mayaccountforthesacrednesswithwhichmypropertywasalwaystreatedbeforeButotherincidentswhichhappenedsubsequentlyshowed，aswellasthis，thatidolatersarenotsovirtuousasthosewhohavenoidols。
　　AsthepeopleonthebanksoftheLeebawerethelastofShinte’stribeoverwhichIntemesehadpower，hewasnaturallyanxioustoremainaslongaspossibleHewasnotidle，butmadealargewoodenmortarandpestleforhiswifeduringourjourneyHealsocarvedmanywoodenspoonsandabowl；
　　thencommencedabasket；butaswhatheconsideredgoodlivingwasanythingbutagreeabletous，whohadbeenaccustomedtomilkandmaize，wewentforwardonthe2dwithouthimHesoonfollowed，butleftourpontoon，sayingitwouldbebroughtbytheheadmanofthevillage。
　　Thiswasagreatloss，asweafterwardfound；itremainedatthisvillagemorethanayear，andwhenwereturnedamousehadeatenaholeinit。
　　WeenteredonanextensiveplainbeyondtheLeeba，atleasttwentymilesbroad，andcoveredwithwater，ankledeepintheshallowestparts。
　　WedeviatedsomewhatfromourN。WcoursebythedirectionofIntemese，andkeptthehillsPirinearlyonourrightduringagreatpartofthefirstday，inordertoavoidthestillmoredeeplyfloodedplainsofLobaleLuval？onthewestThese，accordingtoIntemese，areatpresentimpassableonaccountofbeingthighdeep。
　　Theplainsaresoperfectlylevelthatrain-water，whichthiswas，standsuponthemformonthstogetherTheywerenotfloodedbytheLeeba，forthatwasstillfarwithinitsbanksHereandthere，dottedoverthesurface，arelittleislands，onwhichgrowstunteddate-bushesandscraggytreesTheplainsthemselvesarecoveredwithathickswardofgrass，whichconcealsthewater，andmakestheflatsappearlikegreatpaleyellow-coloredprairie-lands，withaclearhorizon，exceptwhereinterruptedhereandtherebytreesTheclearrain-watermusthavestoodsometimeamongthegrass，forgreatnumbersoflotus-flowerswereseeninfullblow；andtherunsofwatertortoisesandcrabswereobserved；otheranimalsalso，whichpreyonthefishthatfindtheirwaytotheplains。
　　Thecontinualsplashingoftheoxenkeepsthefeetoftheriderconstantlywet，andmymencomplainoftheperpetualmoistureofthepathsbywhichwehavetraveledinLondaassofteningtheirhornysoles。
　　TheonlyinformationwecangleanisfromIntemese，whopointsoutthedifferentlocalitiesaswepassalong，andamongtherest“MokalaaMama“，his“mamma’shome“Itwasinterestingtohearthistallgray-headedmanrecallthememoriesofboyhood。
　　AlltheMakalakachildrencleavetothemotherincasesofseparation，orremovalfromonepartofthecountrytoanotherThisloveformothersdoesnotarguesuperiormoralityinotherrespects，orelseIntemesehasforgottenanyinjunctionshismammamayhavegivenhimnottotelllies。
　　Therespect，however，withwhichhespokeofherwasquitecharacteristicofhisraceTheBechuanas，onthecontrary，carenothingfortheirmothers，butclingtotheirfathers，especiallyiftheyhaveanyexpectationofbecomingheirstotheircattle。
　　OurBakwainguidetothelake，Rachosi，toldmethathismotherlivedinthecountryofSebituane，but，thoughagoodspecimenoftheBechuanas，helaughedattheideaofgoingsofarasfromtheLakeNgamitotheChobemerelyforthepurposeofseeingherHadhebeenoneoftheMakalaka，heneverwouldhavepartedfromher。
　　Wemadeourbedsononeoftheislands，andwerewretchedlysuppliedwithfirewoodTheboothsconstructedbythemenwerebutsorryshelter，fortherainpoureddownwithoutintermissiontillmidday。
　　Thereisnodrainagefortheprodigiousmassesofwaterontheseplains，exceptslowpercolationintothedifferentfeedersoftheLeeba，andintothatriveritselfThequantityofvegetationhaspreventedthecountryfrombecomingfurrowedbymanyrivuletsor“nullahs“。
　　Wereitnotsoremarkablyflat，thedrainagemusthavebeeneffectedbytorrents，eveninspiteofthemattedvegetation。
　　Thattheseextensiveplainsarecoveredwithgrassesonly，andthelittleislandswithbutscraggytrees，maybeaccountedforbythefact，observableeverywhereinthiscountry，that，wherewaterstandsforanylengthoftime，treescannotlive。
　　Thewantofspeedydrainagedestroysthem，andinjuresthegrowthofthosethatareplantedontheislands，fortheyhavenodepthofearthnotsubjectedtothesouringinfluenceofthestagnantwater。
　　TheplainsofLobale，tothewestofthese，aresaidtobemuchmoreextensivethananywesaw，andtheirvegetationpossessessimilarpeculiarities。
　　Whenthestagnantrain-waterhasallsoakedin，asmusthappenduringthemonthsinwhichthereisnorain，travelersareevenputtostraitsforwantofwaterThisisstatedonnativetestimony；butIcanverywellbelievethatlevelplains，inwhichneitherwellsnorgulliesaremetwith，may，afterthedryseason，presenttheoppositeextremetowhatwewitnessed。
　　Water，however，couldalwaysbegotbydigging，aproofofwhichwehadonourreturnwhenbroughttoastandonthisveryplainbyseverefever：
　　abouttwelvemilesfromtheKasaimymendugdownafewfeet，andfoundanabundantsupply；andwesawononeoftheislandsthegardenofamanwho，inthedryseason，haddrunkwaterfromawellinlikemannerPlainslikethesecannotbeinhabitedwhilethepresentsystemofcultivationlastsThepopulationisnotyetsoverylargeastoneedthemTheyfindgarden-groundenoughonthegentleslopesatthesidesoftherivulets，andpossessnocattletoeatoffthemillionsofacresoffinehaywewerenowwadingthrough。
　　AnyonewhohasvisitedtheCapeColonywillunderstandmewhenIsaythattheseimmensecropsresemblesowngrassesmorethanthetuftyvegetationofthesouth。
　　Iwouldhererequesttheparticularattentionofthereadertothephenomenatheseperiodicallydelugedplainspresent，becausetheyhaveamostimportantbearingonthephysicalgeographyofaverylargeportionofthiscountry。
　　TheplainsofLobale，tothewestofthis，giverisetoagreatmanystreams，whichunite，andformthedeep，never-failingChobeSimilarextensiveflatsgivebirthtotheLoetiandKasai，and，asweshallseefurtheron，alltheriversofanextensiveregionowetheirorigintooozingbogs，andnottofountains。
　　Whenreleasedfromourislandbytherainceasing，wemarchedontillwecametoaridgeofdryinhabitedlandintheN。W。
　　Theinhabitants，accordingtocustom，lentustheroofsofsomehutstosavethementhetroubleofbooth-makingIsuspectthatthestoryinPark’s“Travels“，ofthemenliftingupthehuttoplaceitonthelion，referredtotheroofonlyWeleavethemforthevillagerstoreplaceattheirleisureNopaymentisexpectedfortheuseofthem。
　　Bynightitrainedsocopiouslythatallourbedswerefloodedfrombelow；
　　andfromthistimeforthwealwaysmadeafurrowroundeachbooth，andusedtheearthtoraiseoursleeping-placesMymenturnedouttoworkinthewetmostwillingly；indeed，theyalwaysdid。
　　IcouldnotbutcontrasttheirconductwiththatofIntemese。
　　Hewasthoroughlyimbuedwiththeslavespirit，andliedonalloccasionswithoutcompunctionUntruthfulnessisasortofrefugefortheweakandoppressedWeexpectedtomoveonthe4th，buthedeclaredthatweweresonearKatema’s，ifwedidnotsendforwardtoapprisethatchiefofourapproach，hewouldcertainlyimposeafine。