We at last came to the Sanshureh, which presented an impassable barrier, so we drew up under a magnificent baobab-tree, (lat. 18d 4’ 27” S., long. 24d 6’ 20” E.), and resolved to explore the river for a ford.  The great quantity of water we had passed through was part of the annual inundation of the Chobe; and this, which appeared a large, deep river, filled in many parts with reeds, and having hippopotami in it, is only one of the branches by which it sends its superabundant water to the southeast.  From the hill N’gwa a ridge of higher land runs to the northeast, and bounds its course in that direction.  We, being ignorant of this, were in the valley, and the only gap in the whole country destitute of tsetse.  In company with the Bushmen I explored all the banks of the Sanshureh to the west till we came into tsetse on that side.  We waded a long way among the reeds in water breast deep, but always found a broad, deep space free from vegetation and unfordable.  A peculiar kind of lichen, which grows on the surface of the soil, becomes detached and floats on the water, giving out a very disagreeable odor, like sulphureted hydrogen, in some of these stagnant waters.

We made so many attempts to get over the Sanshureh, both to the west and east of the wagon, in the hope of reaching some of the Makololo on the Chobe, that my Bushmen friends became quite tired of the work.  By means of presents I got them to remain some days; but at last they slipped away by night, and I was fain to take one of the strongest of my still weak companions and cross the river in a pontoon, the gift of Captains Codrington and Webb.  We each carried some provisions and a blanket, and penetrated about twenty miles to the westward, in the hope of striking the Chobe.  It was much nearer to us in a northerly direction, but this we did not then know.  The plain, over which we splashed the whole of the first day, was covered with water ankle deep, and thick grass which reached above the knees.  In the evening we came to an immense wall of reeds, six or eight feet high, without any opening admitting of a passage.  When we tried to enter, the water always became so deep that we were fain to desist.  We concluded that we had come to the banks of the river we were in search of, so we directed our course to some trees which appeared in the south, in order to get a bed and a view of the adjacent locality.  Having shot a leche, and made a glorious fire, we got a good cup of tea and had a comfortable night.  While collecting wood that evening, I found a bird’s nest consisting of live leaves sewn together with threads of the spider’s web.  Nothing could exceed the airiness of this pretty contrivance; the threads had been pushed through small punctures and thickened to resemble a knot.  I unfortunately lost it.  This was the second nest I had seen resembling that of the tailor-bird of India.