Having got the loan of other canoes from Mpololo, and three oxen as provision for the way, which made the number we had been presented with in the Barotse valley amount to thirteen, we proceeded down the river toward Sesheke, and were as much struck as formerly with the noble river.  The whole scenery is lovely, though the atmosphere is murky in consequence of the continuance of the smoky tinge of winter.

This peculiar tinge of the atmosphere was observed every winter at Kolobeng, but it was not so observable in Londa as in the south, though I had always considered that it was owing to the extensive burnings of the grass, in which hundreds of miles of pasturage are annually consumed.  As the quantity burned in the north is very much greater than in the south, and the smoky tinge of winter was not observed, some other explanation than these burnings must be sought for.  I have sometimes imagined that the lowering of the temperature in the winter rendered the vapor in the upper current of air visible, and imparted this hazy appearance.

The amount of organic life is surprising.  At the time the river begins to rise, the ‘Ibis religiosa’ comes down in flocks of fifties, with prodigious numbers of other water-fowl.  Some of the sand-banks appear whitened during the day with flocks of pelicans—­I once counted three hundred; others are brown with ducks (’Anas histrionica’)—­I got fourteen of these by one shot (’Querquedula Hottentota’, Smith), and other kinds.  Great numbers of gulls (’Procellaria turtur’, Smith), and several others, float over the surface.  The vast quantity of small birds, which feed on insects, show that the river teems also with specimens of minute organic life.  In walking among bushes on the banks we are occasionally stung by a hornet, which makes its nest in form like that of our own wasp, and hangs it on the branches of trees.  The breeding storgh* is so strong in this insect that it pursues any one twenty or thirty yards who happens to brush too closely past its nest.  The sting, which it tries to inflict near the eye, is more like a discharge of electricity from a powerful machine, or a violent blow, than aught else.  It produces momentary insensibility, and is followed by the most pungent pain.  Yet this insect is quite timid when away from its nest.  It is named Murotuani by the Bechuanas.

   * (Greek) sigma-tau-omicron-rho-gamma-eta.

We have tsetse between Nameta and Sekhosi.  An insect of prey, about an inch in length, long-legged and gaunt-looking, may be observed flying about and lighting upon the bare ground.  It is a tiger in its way, for it springs upon tsetse and other flies, and, sucking out their blood, throws the bodies aside.