BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 17 



coming on soon after, which would have rendered the 

 passage impracticable. From hence we pursued our journey- 

 to a missionary station, called Thaba Uncha ; the way was 

 tedious, from the wet state of the country, and we repeatedly 

 halted to rest the oxen. Great numbers of bless boks and 

 black gnoos were observed ; and our waggon was visited by 

 people of the Barolong and Mantatie tribes, who all begged 

 tobacco. It was the 16th of January when we reached 

 Thaba Uncha. Mr. Gidde, the missionary, kindly promised 

 to ask the chief, Moroco, to allow two of his people to 

 accompany me, that they might take care of the oxen and 

 sheep : and accordingly, I visited the hut of this potentate, 

 to give him a present and request this favour. Our communi- 

 cation, which was very amicable, was held through the 

 medium of a Hottentot, who had been educated by the 

 missionaries near Cape Town. Some tea, tobacco and an 

 English clay-pipe, quite won the heart of Moroco, who is 

 chief of the Barolongs, and whose village contains 8000 inha- 

 bitants. The people possess great numbers of cattle, and raise 

 much Indian corn and Kafir corn. They gave us a deal of 

 trouble during the time that we were detained by bad weather 

 at Thaba Uncha, tormenting us for presents, attempting to 

 steal our sheep, some of which they succeeded in driving 

 away at night, and setting their dogs on the quest for our 

 provisions. The chief, Moroco, gave a long address to the 

 men whom we engaged to accompany us, recommending 

 obedience and diligence in our service ; he much urged us 

 to bind ourselves to return the same way, that we might 

 bring his people back, and on Mr. Gidde's explaining that 

 this might be impracticable, he stated that we must then 

 write to him by the hands of the men, and say if we were 

 satisfied with their conduct, else he should consider them as 

 deserters. He added that the Barolongs never will remain 

 with the Boers, but always run away from them ; but that 

 the English are his particular allies. Another present of 

 tobacco then ratified the treaty, and we parted very good 

 friends on the 1 9th. Three days after, we reached and 



VOL. V. C 



