Sechele, By My Advice, Sent Men To Sekomi, Asking Leave For Me To Pass
Along His Path, Accompanying The Request With The Present Of An Ox.
Sekomi's Mother, Who Possesses Great Influence Over Him, Refused Permission,
Because She Had Not Been Propitiated.
This produced a fresh message;
and the most honorable man in the Bakwain tribe, next to Sechele, was sent
with an ox for both Sekomi and his mother.
This, too, was met by refusal.
It was said, "The Matebele, the mortal enemies of the Bechuanas,
are in the direction of the lake, and, should they kill the white man,
we shall incur great blame from all his nation."
The exact position of the Lake Ngami had, for half a century at least,
been correctly pointed out by the natives, who had visited it
when rains were more copious in the Desert than in more recent times,
and many attempts had been made to reach it by passing through the Desert
in the direction indicated; but it was found impossible,
even for Griquas, who, having some Bushman blood in them,
may be supposed more capable of enduring thirst than Europeans.
It was clear, then, that our only chance of success was by going round,
instead of through, the Desert. The best time for the attempt
would have been about the end of the rainy season, in March or April,
for then we should have been likely to meet with pools of rain-water,
which always dry up during the rainless winter.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 85 of 1070
Words from 25247 to 25498
of 306638
