The Men At The Head And Stern
Are Selected From The Strongest And Most Expert Of The Whole.
The Canoes,
Being flat bottomed, can go into very shallow water;
and whenever the men can feel the bottom they use the
Paddles,
which are about eight feet long, as poles to punt with. Our fleet
consisted of thirty-three canoes, and about one hundred and sixty men.
It was beautiful to see them skimming along so quickly,
and keeping the time so well. On land the Makalaka fear the Makololo;
on water the Makololo fear them, and can not prevent them
from racing with each other, dashing along at the top of their speed,
and placing their masters' lives in danger. In the event of a capsize,
many of the Makololo would sink like stones. A case of this kind happened
on the first day of our voyage up. The wind, blowing generally from the east,
raises very large waves on the Leeambye. An old doctor of the Makololo
had his canoe filled by one of these waves, and, being unable to swim,
was lost. The Barotse who were in the canoe with him saved themselves
by swimming, and were afraid of being punished with death in the evening
for not saving the doctor as well. Had he been a man of more influence,
they certainly would have suffered death.
We proceeded rapidly up the river, and I felt the pleasure of looking on lands
which had never been seen by a European before.
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