Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/212

 162 SOUTH AND EAST AFRICA. to the remains of a tribe of Eorana Hottentots crossed with Bechuanas of dif- ferent clans, and numbering altogether about five thousand souls. Within this ]3echuana domain have also been established several petty republican com- munities of Bastaards driven north by the pressure of the English immigrants into Griquuland West. The Ba Harutse (Ba-IIurutse, Barotse), who still occupy the region of the Upper Linjpopo basin about the frontiers of Transvaal and the British Pro- tectorate, are also a decrepit people, much reduced since the time when they were regarded as the most powerful branch of the Bechuana race. Even recently the sons of the surrounding kinglets appeared as envoys in their midst in order to learn the national history or traditions, to study the ancestral usages, and conform themselves to the received standard of polite society. All the neighbouring com- munities were even expected to send the first-fruits of their crops in homage to the Ba-Harutse chief. The branch of the nation which has settled in the Marico district within the Transvaal frontier may also lay claim to pre-eminence for their progress in agriculture ; in 1882 they already possessed over two hundred European ploughs. One of the Ilarutse tribes has withdrawn to the region north of the Protec- torate, taking refuge in the marshy plains stretching east of Lake Ngami, where they occupy retreats safe from the encroachments of the most daring invaders of the land. The Ba-Katla, whose totem, or national emblem, is a monkey, and whose capital is the little town of Gamcohopa, situated on a wooded plateau, watered by an affluent of the Limpopo ; the Ba-Wanketsi, who are grouped to the number of six thousand or seven thousand round about the town of Khany^ ; lastly, the Ba Kwena or " Crocodile People," who dwell a little farther north, but still within the Upper Limpopo basin, have all alike been greatly reduced and com- pelled frequently to change their settlements by the incessant raids and encroach- ments of the neighbouring Transvaal Boers. The town of Kolobeng, where Livingstone had founded his mission before he turned to geographical exploration, is now in ruins. Liteyani was also abandoned in 1864 ; not, however, because of tlie attacks of any aggressive neighbours, but owing to the adjacent forest of gigantic aloes, whose pulpy leaves falling and rotting on the ground, rendered the whole district malarious during the rainy season. Liteyani was succeeded first by the town of Moricakhomo, and then by the present capital, L<ipeloIe {Molopok), which lies in the same region at the foot of a long ridge of rocky and wooded hills. This district, about which, so to say, gravitate the royal residences of the Ba-Kwena nation, is the mo 4 renowned in the legendary history of the Bechuana race. Near Lepelole stands a grotto into which Livingstone was the first who dared to venture, and not far from the same spot is the Giant's Kettle, hollowed out of the live rock. From this place, says the national myth, came all the animals of the world. The same chasm also gave birth to the Bechuana race, and carved in the rocks is still shown the trace of the first step taken by the first man as he emerged from the bowels of the earth.*
 * Livingstone, Last Juuniala.