The Victoria Falls of the Zambesi--Marvellous grandeur of the Cataracts--The Makololo's town--The Chief Sekeletu.
During the time we remained at Motunta a splendid meteor was observed to lighten the whole heavens.The observer's back was turned to it, but on looking round the streak of light was seen to remain on its path some seconds.This streak is usually explained to be only the continuance of the impression made by the shining body on the retina.
This cannot be, as in this case the meteor was not actually seen and yet the streak was clearly perceived.The rays of planets and stars also require another explanation than that usually given.
Fruit-trees and gigantic wild fig-trees, and circles of stones on which corn safes were placed, with worn grindstones, point out where the villages once stood.The only reason now assigned for this fine country remaining desolate is the fear of fresh visitations by the Matebele.The country now slopes gradually to the west into the Makololo Valley.Two days' march from the Batoka village nearest the highlands, we met with some hunters who were burning the dry grass, in order to attract the game by the fresh vegetation which speedily springs up afterwards.The grass, as already remarked, is excellent for cattle.One species, with leaves having finely serrated edges, and of a reddish-brown colour, we noticed our men eating:it tastes exactly like liquorice-root, and is named kezu-kezu.The tsetse, known to the Batoka by the name "ndoka," does not exist here, though buffaloes and elephants abound.
A small trap in the path, baited with a mouse, to catch spotted cats (F. Genetta), is usually the first indication that we are drawing near to a village; but when we get within the sounds of pounding corn, cockcrowing, or the merry shouts of children at play, we know that the huts are but a few yards off, though the trees conceal them from view.We reached, on the 4th of August, Moachemba, the first of the Batoka villages which now owe allegiance to Sekeletu, and could see distinctly with the naked eye, in the great valley spread out before us, the columns of vapour rising from the Victoria Falls, though upwards of 20 miles distant.We were informed that, the rains having failed this year, the corn crops had been lost, and great scarcity and much hunger prevailed from Sesheke to Linyanti.Some of the reports which the men had heard from the Batoka of the hills concerning their families, were here confirmed.Takelang's wife had been killed by Mashotlane, the headman at the Falls, on a charge, as usual, of witchcraft.Inchikola's two wives, believing him to be dead, had married again; and Masakasa was intensely disgusted to hear that two years ago his friends, upon a report of his death, threw his shield over the Falls, slaughtered all his oxen, and held a species of wild Irish wake, in honour of his memory:he said he meant to disown them, and to say, when they come to salute him, "I am dead.I am not here.I belong to another world, and should stink if I came among you."
All the sad news we had previously heard, of the disastrous results which followed the attempt of a party of missionaries, under the Rev.
H. Helmore, to plant the gospel at Linyanti, were here fully confirmed.Several of the missionaries and their native attendants, from Kuruman, had succumbed to the fever, and the survivors had retired some weeks before our arrival.We remained the whole of the 7th beside the village of the old Batoka chief, Moshobotwane, the stoutest man we have seen in Africa.The cause of our delay here was a severe attack of fever in Charles Livingstone.He took a dose of our fever pills; was better on the 8th, and marched three hours; then on the 9th marched eight miles to the Great Falls, and spent the rest of the day in the fatiguing exercise of sight-seeing.We were in the very same valley as Linyanti, and this was the same fever which treated, or rather maltreated, with only a little Dover's powder, proved so fatal to poor Helmore; the symptoms, too, were identical with those afterwards described by non-medical persons as those of poison.
We gave Moshobotwane a present, and a pretty plain exposition of what we thought of his bloody forays among his Batoka brethren.Ascolding does most good to the recipient, when put alongside some obliging act.He certainly did not take it ill, as was evident from what he gave us in return; which consisted of a liberal supply of meal, milk, and an ox.He has a large herd of cattle, and a tract of fine pasture-land on the beautiful stream Lekone.A home-feeling comes over one, even in the interior of Africa, at seeing once more cattle grazing peacefully in the meadows.The tsetse inhabits the trees which bound the pasture-land on the west; so, should the herdsman forget his duty, the cattle straying might be entirely lost.
