t, the heads of the game shot by Sekomi.

There are several vestiges, besides, of very ancient partitions and
lordships of tribes. The elder brother of Sechele's father, becoming
blind, gave over the chieftainship to Sechele's father. The descendants
of this man pay no tribute to Sechele, though he is the actual ruler,
and superior to the head of that family; and Sechele, while in every
other respect supreme, calls him Kosi, or Chief. The other tribes will
not begin to eat the early pumpkins of a new crop until they hear that
the Bahurutse have "bitten it", and there is a public ceremony on the
occasion--the son of the chief being the first to taste of the new
harvest.

Sechele, by my advice, sent men to Sekomi, asking leave for me to pass
along his path, accompanying the request with the present of an ox.
Sekomi's mother, who possesses great influence over him, refused
permission, because she had not been propitiated. This produced a
fresh message; and the most honorable man in the Bakwain tribe, next to
Sechele, was sent with an ox for both Sekomi and his mother. This, too,
was met by refusal. It was said, "The Matebele, the mortal enemies of
the Bechuanas, are in the direction of the lake, and, should they kill
the white man, we shall incur great blame from all his nation."

The exact position of the Lake Ngami had, for half a century at least,
been correctly pointed out by the natives, who had visited it when rains
were more copious in the Desert than in more recent times, and many
attempts had been made to reach it by passing through the Desert in the
direction indicated; but it was found impossible, even for Griquas,
who, having some Bushman blood in them, may be supposed more capable of
enduring thirst than Europeans. It was clear, then, that our only chance
of success was by going round, instead of through, the Desert. The best
time for the attempt would have been about the end of the rainy season,
in March or April, for then we should have been likely to meet with
pools of rain-water, which always dry up during the rainless winter. I
communicated my intention to an African traveler, Colonel Steele, then
aid-de-camp to the Marquis of Tweedale at Madras, and he made it known
to two other gentlemen, whose friendship we had gained during their
African travel, namely, Major Vardon and Mr. Oswell. All of these
gentlemen were so enamored with African hunting and African discovery
that the two former must have envied