the south, though
I had always considered that it was owing to the extensive burnings
of the grass, in which hundreds of miles of pasturage are annually
consumed. As the quantity burned in the north is very much greater than
in the south, and the smoky tinge of winter was not observed, some other
explanation than these burnings must be sought for. I have sometimes
imagined that the lowering of the temperature in the winter rendered
the vapor in the upper current of air visible, and imparted this hazy
appearance.

The amount of organic life is surprising. At the time the river begins
to rise, the 'Ibis religiosa' comes down in flocks of fifties, with
prodigious numbers of other water-fowl. Some of the sand-banks appear
whitened during the day with flocks of pelicans--I once counted three
hundred; others are brown with ducks ('Anas histrionica')--I got
fourteen of these by one shot ('Querquedula Hottentota', Smith), and
other kinds. Great numbers of gulls ('Procellaria turtur', Smith),
and several others, float over the surface. The vast quantity of small
birds, which feed on insects, show that the river teems also with
specimens of minute organic life. In walking among bushes on the banks
we are occasionally stung by a hornet, which makes its nest in form
like that of our own wasp, and hangs it on the branches of trees. The
breeding storgh* is so strong in this insect that it pursues any one
twenty or thirty yards who happens to brush too closely past its nest.
The sting, which it tries to inflict near the eye, is more like a
discharge of electricity from a powerful machine, or a violent blow,
than aught else. It produces momentary insensibility, and is followed by
the most pungent pain. Yet this insect is quite timid when away from its
nest. It is named Murotuani by the Bechuanas.

* (Greek) sigma-tau-omicron-rho-gamma-eta.

We have tsetse between Nameta and Sekhosi. An insect of prey, about an
inch in length, long-legged and gaunt-looking, may be observed flying
about and lighting upon the bare ground. It is a tiger in its way, for
it springs upon tsetse and other flies, and, sucking out their blood,
throws the bodies aside.

Long before reaching Sesheke we had been informed that a party of
Matebele, the people of Mosilikatse, had brought some packages of goods
for me to the south bank of the river, near the Victoria Falls, and,
though they declared that they had been sent by Mr. Moffat, the Makololo
had refuse