The Bemba tribe of Central Africa once marched off to conquer the entire continent, failed to do so, settled down by a lake, where most of them were killed or run off in a failed crocodile holocaust. TA DA.

>Their ancestors had come from the Congo at the end of the seventeenth century, led by Chitimukulu, the Crocodile King, intent on conquering all Africa. But as they marched towards the fabled country of the great lakes, they clashed with one tribe after another, sustaining heavy losses, and were cheated by Arab traders who took their women for slaves in exchange for glass beads. >Finally the bedraggled remainder, still clutching the mighty crocodile totem, arrived on the great northeastern plateau and came across a dead crocodile near a lake, which they took as a good omen. Being told that the local name for crocodile was *Ngandu*, they settled in various villages around the shores of the lake (*Shiba*) which consequently became known as Shiwa Ngandu. The community flourished, spreading out and coming into contact with the first European traders and explorers, but those on the shores were continually harassed by crocodiles. >One day near the beginning of this century, 200 men decided to go out on the lake in canoes to slaughter them. By dusk only two men remained, and one lake-shore village, Kacilikila, whose men had not joined the hunting party, and it was there that Gore-Browne had arrived. ____________________________ **Source:** Lamb, Christina. “Part One: 1914-1927, Chapter 1.” *The Africa House: The True Story of An English Gentleman and His African Dream*. Harper Collins Publishers, 2004. 14. Print. ____________________________ **Further Reading:** [Bemba People](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bemba_people) [Shiwa Ngandu (also spelled Shiwa Ng'andu)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiwa_Ngandu) [Lieutenant Colonel Sir Stewart Gore-Browne, DSO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Gore-Browne)