without occasionally putting refractory headmen to death, force his
subordinates to do his will.

Except the small rapids by Mparira island, near the mouth of the Chobe,
the rest of the way to Sesheke by water is smooth. Herds of cattle of
two or three varieties graze on the islands in the river: the Batoka
possessed a very small breed of beautiful shape, and remarkably tame, and
many may still be seen; a larger kind, many of which have horns pendent,
and loose at the roots; and a still larger sort, with horns of
extraordinary dimensions,--apparently a burden for the beast to carry.
This breed was found in abundance at Lake Ngami. We stopped at noon at
one of the cattle-posts of Mokompa, and had a refreshing drink of milk.
Men of his standing have usually several herds placed at different spots,
and the owner visits each in turn, while his head-quarters are at his
village. His son, a boy of ten, had charge of the establishment during
his father's absence. According to Makololo ideas, the cattle-post is
the proper school in which sons should be brought up. Here they receive
the right sort of education--the knowledge of pasture and how to manage
cattle.

Strong easterly winds blow daily from noon till midnight, and continue
till the October or November rains set in. Whirlwinds, raising huge
pillars of smoke from burning grass and weeds, are common in the
forenoon. We were nearly caught in an immense one. It crossed about
twenty yards in front of us, the wind apparently rushing into it from all
points of the compass. Whirling round and round in great eddies, it
swept up hundreds of feet into the air a continuous dense dark cloud of
the black pulverized soil, mixed with dried grass, off the plain. Herds
of the new antelopes, lechwe, and poku, with the kokong, or gnus, and
zebras stood gazing at us as we passed. The mirage lifted them at times
halfway to the clouds, and twisted them and the clumps of palms into
strange unearthly forms. The extensive and rich level plains by the
banks, along the sides of which we paddled, would support a vast
population, and might be easily irrigated from the Zambesi. If watered,
they would yield crops all the year round, and never suffer loss by
drought. The hippopotamus is killed here with long lance-like spears. We
saw two men, in a light canoe, stealing noiselessly down on one of these
animals thought to be asleep; but it was on the alert, and they had
quickly to retreat.