The Water Of The Chobe Up To This Point
Is Of A Dark Mossy Hue, But Here It Suddenly Assumes A Lighter Tint;
And Wherever This Light Color Shows A Greater Amount Of Mineral,
There Are Not Mosquitoes Enough To Cause Serious Annoyance
To Any Except Persons Of Very Irritable Temperaments.
The large island called Mparia stands at the confluence.
This is composed of trap (zeolite, probably mesotype) of a younger age
than the deep stratum of tufa in which the Chobe has formed its bed,
for, at the point where they come together, the tufa has been transformed
into saccharoid limestone.
The actual point of confluence of these two rivers,
the Chobe and the Leeambye, is ill defined, on account of each dividing
into several branches as they inosculate; but when the whole body of water
collects into one bed, it is a goodly sight for one who has spent many years
in the thirsty south. Standing on one bank, even the keen eye of the natives
can not detect whether two large islands, a few miles east of the junction,
are main land or not. During a flight in former years,
when the present chief Sekomi was a child in his mother's arms,
the Bamangwato men were separated from their women, and inveigled
on to one of these islands by the Makalaka chief of Mparia,
on pretense of ferrying them across the Leeambye. They were left to perish
after seeing their wives taken prisoners by these cruel lords of the Leeambye,
and Sekomi owed his life to the compassion of one of the Bayeiye,
who, pitying the young chieftain, enabled his mother to make her escape
by night.
After spending one night at the Makololo village on Mparia, we left the Chobe,
and, turning round, began to ascend the Leeambye; on the 19th of November
we again reached the town of Sesheke. It stands on the north bank
of the river, and contains a large population of Makalaka, under Moriantsane,
brother-in-law of Sebituane. There are parties of various tribes here,
assembled under their respective head men, but a few Makololo rule over all.
Their sway, though essentially despotic, is considerably modified
by certain customs and laws. One of the Makalaka had speared an ox
belonging to one of the Makololo, and, being unable to extract the spear,
was thereby discovered to be the perpetrator of the deed. His object had been
to get a share of the meat, as Moriantsane is known to be liberal
with any food that comes into his hands. The culprit was bound hand and foot,
and placed in the sun to force him to pay a fine, but he continued
to deny his guilt. His mother, believing in the innocence of her son,
now came forward, with her hoe in hand, and, threatening to cut down any one
who should dare to interfere, untied the cords with which he had been bound
and took him home. This open defiance of authority was not resented
by Moriantsane, but referred to Sekeletu at Linyanti.
The following circumstance, which happened here when I was present
with Sekeletu, shows that the simple mode of punishment, by forcing a criminal
to work out a fine, did not strike the Makololo mind until now.
A stranger having visited Sesheke for the purpose of barter, was robbed
by one of the Makalaka of most of his goods. The thief, when caught,
confessed the theft, and that he had given the articles to a person
who had removed to a distance. The Makololo were much enraged at the idea
of their good name being compromised by this treatment of a stranger.
Their customary mode of punishing a crime which causes much indignation
is to throw the criminal into the river; but, as this would not restore
the lost property, they were sorely puzzled how to act.
The case was referred to me, and I solved the difficulty by paying
for the loss myself, and sentencing the thief to work out an equivalent
with his hoe in a garden. This system was immediately introduced,
and thieves are now sentenced to raise an amount of corn
proportioned to their offenses. Among the Bakwains, a woman who had stolen
from the garden of another was obliged to part with her own entirely:
it became the property of her whose field was injured by the crime.
There is no stated day of rest in any part of this country,
except the day after the appearance of the new moon, and the people then
refrain only from going to their gardens. A curious custom, not to be found
among the Bechuanas, prevails among the black tribes beyond them.
They watch most eagerly for the first glimpse of the new moon, and,
when they perceive the faint outline after the sun has set deep in the west,
they utter a loud shout of "Kua!" and vociferate prayers to it. My men,
for instance, called out, "Let our journey with the white man be prosperous!
Let our enemies perish, and the children of Nake become rich!
May he have plenty of meat on this journey!" etc., etc.
I gave many public addresses to the people of Sesheke
under the outspreading camel-thorn-tree, which serves as a shade to the kotla
on the high bank of the river. It was pleasant to see the long lines of men,
women, and children winding along from different quarters of the town,
each party following behind their respective head men. They often amounted to
between five and six hundred souls, and required an exertion of voice
which brought back the complaint for which I had got the uvula excised
at the Cape. They were always very attentive; and Moriantsane,
in order, as he thought, to please me, on one occasion
rose up in the middle of the discourse, and hurled his staff
at the heads of some young fellows whom he saw working with a skin
instead of listening.
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