One of these "bachelors",
living near the confluence, actually came out of his lair,
and, putting his head down, ran after some of our men who were passing
with very considerable speed.
The part of the river called Zabesa, or Zabenza, is spread out
like a little lake, surrounded on all sides by dense masses of tall reeds.
The river below that is always one hundred or one hundred and twenty
yards broad, deep, and never dries up so much as to become fordable.
At certain parts, where the partial absence of reeds affords
a view of the opposite banks, the Makololo have placed villages of observation
against their enemies the Matebele. We visited all these in succession,
and found here, as every where in the Makololo country,
orders had preceded us, "that Nake (nyake means doctor) must not be allowed
to become hungry."
The banks of the Chobe, like those of the Zouga, are of soft calcareous tufa,
and the river has cut out for itself a deep, perpendicular-sided bed.
Where the banks are high, as at the spot where the wagons stood in 1851,
they are covered with magnificent trees, the habitat of tsetse,
and the retreat of various antelopes, wild hogs, zebras, buffaloes,
and elephants.
