BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 323 



are the only inhabitants who claim these lonely and dreary- 

 looking spots as their home. We crossed here a few small 

 branches of the Riet River, which joins the Madder River, 

 or Maap; the latter is a tributary of the Vaal River; its 

 junction with the latter is about 29° south latitude, and 

 24° 40' east longitude. 



Having travelled for some distance over an elevated crest- 

 like ridge of hills, sloping towards east and west, we de- 

 scended again from a moderately high ground towards an 

 extensive plain ; which we considered no great distance from 

 Taba Uncha, the capital of Morocco, a Betchuana chief. It 

 was already dark in the evening when we entered the plain. 

 The soil was of a very stiff loam, and soaked with water 

 from the heavy rains, with a surprizing luxuriant growth 

 of grasses, chiefly Saccharinece, which were, for the greater 

 part, four feet in height. As the ground was quite level, 

 and no accident was to be feared, we continued our journey 

 in the darkness, with the hope of approaching Morocco's 

 residence as near as possible that night. We were dread- 

 fully annoyed by myriads of mosquitoes, which filled the air. 

 in columns, so that it was scarcely possible to take breath, 

 for they were drawn into the lungs when inhaling the air, 

 besides the annoyance of their smell. This plain seemed 

 to be very favourable for these torturing beings, and we 

 never met in any other place so many as here. The nume- 

 rous fires on the hills in front, made us believe that we were 

 near the capital, and we gladly unyoked our teams, which 

 had a very hard pull over a stiff muddy surface that evening. 

 We took our night quarters at the side of a small stony 

 ridge, and hearing the voices of many people, we considered 

 ourselves to be near the place of destination. We detected, 

 however, the next morning our mistake, and that we only 

 had approached the first outposts of Morocco's people. 



The Striga coccinea, (n. 1277), a pretty little parasitical plant, 

 inhabiting like Orobanche Phelpaa or Harveya, (n. 22,) and 

 growing on roots of several plants, made their appearance 



