CHAPTER 8.
Effects of Missionary Efforts--Belief in the Deity--Ideas of the Bakwains on Religion--Departure from their Country--Salt-pans--Sour Curd--Nchokotsa--Bitter Waters--Thirst suffered by the wild Animals--Wanton Cruelty in Hunting--Ntwetwe--Mowana-trees--Their extraordinary Vitality--The Mopane-tree--The Morala--The Bushmen--Their Superstitions--Elephant-hunting--Superiority of civilized over barbarous Sportsmen--The Chief Kaisa--His Fear of Responsibility--Beauty of the Country at Unku--The Mohonono Bush--Severe Labor in cutting our Way--Party seized with Fever--Escape of our Cattle--Bakwain Mode of recapturing them--Vagaries of sick Servants-- Discovery of grape-bearing Vines--An Ant-eater--Difficulty of passing through the Forest--Sickness of my Companion--The Bushmen--Their Mode of destroying Lions--Poisons--The solitary Hill--A picturesque Valley--Beauty of the Country--Arrive at the Sanshureh River--The flooded Prairies--A pontooning Expedition--A night Bivouac--The Chobe-- Arrive at the Village of Moremi--Surprise of the Makololo at our sudden Appearance--Cross the Chobe on our way to Linyanti.
The Bakalahari, who live at Motlatsa wells, have always been very friendly to us, and listen attentively to instruction conveyed to them in their own tongue.

It is, however, difficult to give an idea to a European of the little effect teaching produces, because no one can realize the degradation to which their minds have been sunk by centuries of barbarism and hard struggling for the necessaries of life: like most others, they listen with respect and attention, but, when we kneel down and address an unseen Being, the position and the act often appear to them so ridiculous that they can not refrain from bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

After a few services they get over this tendency.

I was once present when a missionary attempted to sing among a wild heathen tribe of Bechuanas, who had no music in their composition; the effect on the risible faculties of the audience was such that the tears actually ran down their cheeks.

Nearly all their thoughts are directed to the supply of their bodily wants, and this has been the case with the race for ages.