With the assistance of my men, I therefore mounted my steed on the 23d of July, and was off for the Lake, leaving my hunting spoils and other effects under the care of the Bushman-chief at Kobis.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Start from Kobis.—Meet Bechuanas.—False Report.—Wonderful Race of Men.—The Baobob-tree.—The Ngami.—First Impressions of the Lake.—Reflections.—Experience sonic Disappointment.—Reach the Zouga River and encamp near it.—Interview with Chief Lecholètébè.—Information refused.—Immoderate Laughter.—Presents to the Chief.—His Covetousness.—His Cruelty.—Formidable Difficulties.—Author permitted to proceed northward.
Our first day’s march from Kobis lay through an exceedingly dense “wait-a-bit” thorn coppice, crossed in every direction by numerous paths of rhinoceroses and elephants. The soil consisted of soft and yielding sand, which made traveling very fatiguing. The second day, at an early hour, we arrived at a fine vley of water, where I was met by a number of Bechuanas (among whom were some of the leading men of the tribe) waiting to conduct me to Lecholètébè, who had given them orders to render me any assistance I might require. Whether this was from courtesy, or to serve his own purposes, I am uncertain; though, from what I afterward saw of the chief, I am inclined to think it was entirely from selfish motives.
The men in question belonged to a tribe called Batoana, residing on the shores of the Lake Ngami. They were remarkably fine-looking fellows, stout and well built, with Caffre features and longish hair. Their appearance, indeed, was not unlike that of the Damaras. One and all were armed with a shield (oblong in form, and made of a single fold of ox-hide), and a bundle of assegais of various descriptions, each provided with several barbs. What with these formidable weapons and their martial bearing, the aspect of these savages was imposing and warlike. They wore few or no ornaments.
By a liberal supply of tobacco and flesh, we soon became excellent friends; but all my endeavors to elicit information about the country were fruitless. They merely shrugged their shoulders, urging as an excuse their ignorance of such matters; they said, however, that their chief would, no doubt, satisfy my curiosity on these points.
We bivouacked at the vley, where a great number of Bushmen—friends and relatives of those at Kobis—also happened to be encamped. Just as I had retired to rest, and while watching with interest the animated features and gestures of our new friends, the Bechuanas, who, by a glorious fire, were regaling themselves with the pipe and the “fleshpots,” Bonfield came running up to me in great haste, saying, “Please, sir, the Bushmen tell us that Sebetoane, having heard of our coming, had sent a message to Lecholètébè with orders to dispatch people to waylay and kill us, and that these were the very individuals to whom the task was intrusted!”
Being myself by this time pretty well used to similarly absurd and unfounded stories, and knowing that I had nothing to fear, I took no notice of the communication, but again retired with as much unconcern as if I had been in a civilized country. This, however, was far from the case with my men, for the following morning I learned that their anxiety had kept them awake during the greater part of the night, and that some had actually packed up their things, intending to steal away secretly.