In The Parts Through Which We Passed
The Mounds Are Generally Covered With Masses Of Wild Date-Trees;
The Fruit
Is small, and no tree is allowed to stand long,
for, having abundance of food, the Makololo have no inclination
To preserve wild fruit-trees; accordingly, when a date
shoots up to seed, as soon as the fruit is ripe they cut down the tree
rather than be at the trouble of climbing it. The other parts
of the more elevated land have the camel-thorn (`Acacia giraffae'),
white-thorned mimosa (`Acacia horrida'), and baobabs. In sandy spots
there are palmyras somewhat similar to the Indian, but with a smaller seed.
The soil on all the flat parts is a rich, dark, tenacious loam,
known as the "cotton-ground" in India; it is covered with
a dense matting of coarse grass, common on all damp spots in this country.
We had the Chobe on our right, with its scores of miles of reed
occupying the horizon there. It was pleasant to look back
on the long-extended line of our attendants, as it twisted and bent
according to the curves of the footpath, or in and out behind the mounds,
the ostrich feathers of the men waving in the wind. Some had
the white ends of ox-tails on their heads, Hussar fashion, and others
great bunches of black ostrich feathers, or caps made of lions' manes.
Some wore red tunics, or various-colored prints which the chief had bought
from Fleming; the common men carried burdens; the gentlemen walked
with a small club of rhinoceros-horn in their hands, and had servants
to carry their shields; while the "Machaka", battle-axe men,
carried their own, and were liable at any time to be sent off a hundred miles
on an errand, and expected to run all the way.
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