Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/215

 The Ba-Mangwato nation, who occupy the northern division of the British Protectorate to the west of the Limpopo, as well us the marshy plains stretching thence northwards in the direction of the Zambese, have in recent times entered on a period of political expansion, and constitute at present one of the powerful native States in Austral Africa. Formerly the Ba-Mangwatos formed only a single national group with the Ba Kwena and Ba-Wanketsi tribes; but they separated themselves from that connection at a comparatively recent time, although not clearly fixed by tradition, and adopted an antelope as the tribal totem. Since

then they have themselves been split into two political groups, the Ba-Mangwatos proper and the Ba-Toanas, who dwell on the plains to the north of Lake Ngami. the common original home of both branches. A multitude of fugitives belonging to various tribes driven westwards by the terrible Ma-Tebele conquerors, came to seek a refuge amongst the Ba-Mangwatos, with whom they gradually became assimilated, all merging in a common nationality.

Shoshong, the Mangwato capital, is at present the largest town in South Africa beyond the British settlements. According to Holub and Mackenzie, it has had