But then the old man who was
conducting us across might have said, 'What on earth are you
blubbering for? Afraid of these crocodiles, eh?' The little
sentimentality which exceeded was forced to take its course
down the inside of the nose. We have other work in this world
than indulging in sentimentality of the 'Sonnet to the Moon'
variety."
The river, which went here by the name of Sesheke, was found to be the
Zambesi, which had not previously been known to exist in that region. In
writing about it to his brother Charles, he says, "It was the first
_river_ I ever saw." Its discovery in this locality constituted one of
the great geographical feats with which the name of Livingstone is
connected. He heard of rapids above, and of great water-falls below; but
it was reserved for him on a future visit to behold the great Victoria
Falls, which in the popular imagination have filled a higher place than
many of his more useful discoveries.
The travelers were still a good many days' distance from Ma-mochisane,
without whose presence nothing could be settled; but besides, the reedy
banks of the rivers were found to be unsuitable for a settlement, and
the higher regions were too much exposed to the attacks of Mosilikatse.
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