▁the ▁north , ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁close ▁co operation ▁with ▁the ▁San ▁people , ▁or ▁Bas ar wa , ▁who ▁had ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁previously . ▁They ▁speak ▁Sh i Y ey i , ▁a ▁language ▁that ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁San ▁and ▁exhib its ▁the ▁characteristic ▁clicks . ▁ ▁History ▁According ▁to ▁or al ▁tradition , ▁the ▁ba Y ei ▁em igr ated ▁from ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁the ▁L oz i ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁and ▁were ▁led ▁into ▁Ng amil and ▁by ▁the ▁sk illed ▁fish erman ▁and ▁h unter ▁H ank u zi . ▁When ▁the ▁ba Y ei ▁met ▁the ▁ba K h ak we ▁people , ▁H ank u zi ▁married ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁women , ▁possibly ▁as ▁a ▁guarantee ▁of ▁peace . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁imm igration ▁waves ▁followed . ▁The ▁ba Y ei ▁learned ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁ba K h ak we ' s ▁surv ival ▁skills , ▁including ▁new ▁fish ing ▁techniques , ▁while ▁the ▁ba Y ei ▁are ▁cred ited ▁with ▁bringing ▁the ▁can oe - building ▁technology ▁to ▁Ng amil and . ▁The ▁ba Y ei ▁also ▁had ▁connections ▁to ▁the ▁L oz i ▁in ▁the ▁north , ▁and ▁trad ed ▁to b acco ▁for ▁iron ▁with ▁them . ▁Iron ▁was ▁important ▁in ▁the ▁ba Y ei ▁economy ▁for ▁producing ▁spe ar head s ▁and ▁tools . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁ba T sw ana ▁tribe ▁known ▁as ▁ba T aw