Chapter 1.
The Bakwain Country - Study of the Language - Native Ideas
regarding Comets - Mabotsa Station - A Lion Encounter -
Virus of the Teeth of Lions - Names of the Bechuana Tribes -
Sechele - His Ancestors - Obtains the Chieftainship -
His Marriage and Government - The Kotla - First public Religious Services
- Sechele's Questions - He Learns to Read - Novel mode
for Converting his Tribe - Surprise at their Indifference -
Polygamy - Baptism of Sechele - Opposition of the Natives -
Purchase Land at Chonuane - Relations with the People -
Their Intelligence - Prolonged Drought - Consequent Trials -
Rain-medicine - God's Word blamed - Native Reasoning - Rain-maker -
Dispute between Rain Doctor and Medical Doctor - The Hunting Hopo -
Salt or animal Food a necessary of Life - Duties of a Missionary.
Chapter 2.
The Boers - Their Treatment of the Natives - Seizure of native Children
for Slaves - English Traders - Alarm of the Boers - Native Espionage -
The Tale of the Cannon - The Boers threaten Sechele -
In violation of Treaty, they stop English Traders and expel Missionaries -
They attack the Bakwains - Their Mode of Fighting -
The Natives killed and the School-children carried into Slavery -
Destruction of English Property - African Housebuilding and Housekeeping -
Mode of Spending the Day - Scarcity of Food - Locusts - Edible Frogs -
Scavenger Beetle - Continued Hostility of the Boers - The Journey north -
Preparations - Fellow-travelers - The Kalahari Desert -
Vegetation - Watermelons - The Inhabitants - The Bushmen -
Their nomad Mode of Life - Appearance - The Bakalahari -
Their Love for Agriculture and for domestic Animals - Timid Character -
Mode of obtaining Water - Female Water-suckers - The Desert -
Water hidden.
Chapter 3.
Departure from Kolobeng, 1st June, 1849 - Companions - Our Route -
Abundance of Grass - Serotli, a Fountain in the Desert -
Mode of digging Wells - The Eland - Animals of the Desert -
The Hyaena - The Chief Sekomi - Dangers - The wandering Guide -
Cross Purposes - Slow Progress - Want of Water - Capture of a Bushwoman
- The Salt-pan at Nchokotsa - The Mirage - Reach the River Zouga -
The Quakers of Africa - Discovery of Lake Ngami, 1st August, 1849 -
Its Extent - Small Depth of Water - Position as the Reservoir
of a great River System - The Bamangwato and their Chief -
Desire to visit Sebituane, the Chief of the Makololo -
Refusal of Lechulatebe to furnish us with Guides -
Resolve to return to the Cape - The Banks of the Zouga - Pitfalls -
Trees of the District - Elephants - New Species of Antelope -
Fish in the Zouga.
Chapter 4.
Leave Kolobeng again for the Country of Sebituane - Reach the Zouga -
The Tsetse - A Party of Englishmen - Death of Mr. Rider -
Obtain Guides - Children fall sick with Fever - Relinquish the Attempt
to reach Sebituane - Mr. Oswell's Elephant-hunting -
Return to Kolobeng - Make a third Start thence -
Reach Nchokotsa - Salt-pans - "Links", or Springs - Bushmen -
Our Guide Shobo - The Banajoa - An ugly Chief - The Tsetse -
Bite fatal to domestic Animals, but harmless to wild Animals and Man -
Operation of the Poison - Losses caused by it - The Makololo -
Our Meeting with Sebituane - Sketch of his Career -
His Courage and Conquests - Manoeuvres of the Batoka - He outwits them
- His Wars with the Matebele - Predictions of a native Prophet -
Successes of the Makololo - Renewed Attacks of the Matebele -
The Island of Loyelo - Defeat of the Matebele - Sebituane's Policy -
His Kindness to Strangers and to the Poor - His sudden Illness and Death -
Succeeded by his Daughter - Her Friendliness to us - Discovery,
in June, 1851, of the Zambesi flowing in the Centre of the Continent -
Its Size - The Mambari - The Slave-trade - Determine to send Family
to England - Return to the Cape in April, 1852 - Safe Transit through
the Caffre Country during Hostilities - Need of a "Special Correspondent"
- Kindness of the London Missionary Society - Assistance afforded
by the Astronomer Royal at the Cape.
Chapter 5.
Start in June, 1852, on the last and longest Journey from Cape Town -
Companions - Wagon-traveling - Physical Divisions of Africa -
The Eastern, Central, and Western Zones - The Kalahari Desert -
Its Vegetation - Increasing Value of the Interior for Colonization -
Our Route - Dutch Boers - Their Habits - Sterile Appearance
of the District - Failure of Grass - Succeeded by other Plants -
Vines - Animals - The Boers as Farmers - Migration of Springbucks -
Wariness of Animals - The Orange River - Territory of
the Griquas and Bechuanas - The Griquas - The Chief Waterboer -
His wise and energetic Government - His Fidelity - Ill-considered Measures
of the Colonial Government in regard to Supplies of Gunpowder -
Success of the Missionaries among the Griquas and Bechuanas -
Manifest Improvement of the native Character - Dress of the Natives -
A full-dress Costume - A Native's Description of the Natives -
Articles of Commerce in the Country of the Bechuanas -
Their Unwillingness to learn, and Readiness to criticise.
Chapter 6.
Kuruman - Its fine Fountain - Vegetation of the District -
Remains of ancient Forests - Vegetable Poison -
The Bible translated by Mr. Moffat - Capabilities of the Language -
Christianity among the Natives - The Missionaries should extend
their Labors more beyond the Cape Colony - Model Christians -
Disgraceful Attack of the Boers on the Bakwains - Letter from Sechele -
Details of the Attack - Numbers of School-children carried away
into Slavery - Destruction of House and Property at Kolobeng -
The Boers vow Vengeance against me - Consequent Difficulty of getting
Servants to accompany me on my Journey - Start in November, 1852 -
Meet Sechele on his way to England to obtain Redress from the Queen -
He is unable to proceed beyond the Cape - Meet Mr. Macabe
on his Return from Lake Ngami - The hot Wind of the Desert -
Electric State of the Atmosphere - Flock of Swifts -
Reach Litubaruba - The Cave Lepelole - Superstitions regarding it -
Impoverished State of the Bakwains - Retaliation on the Boers -
Slavery - Attachment of the Bechuanas to Children -
Hydrophobia unknown - Diseases of the Bakwains few in number -
Yearly Epidemics - Hasty Burials - Ophthalmia - Native Doctors -
Knowledge of Surgery at a very low Ebb - Little Attendance given to Women
at their Confinements - The "Child Medicine" - Salubrity of the Climate
well adapted for Invalids suffering from pulmonary Complaints.
