326 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



close neighbours to the natives, to prevent our people 

 from becoming too intimate with the inhabitants, which 

 often tends to serious misunderstandings between the par- 

 ties. 



As it was one of the chief objects, to collect the rarer kind 

 of animals, and especially those of the Antelopes, as being 

 the special favourites of the Earl of Derby ; it was indis- 

 pensable, we should visit such places, where we knew game 

 was not yet exhausted by the guns and traffic of the emi- 

 grants, who already occupied the greater part of the 

 country which was inhabited formerly by these animals. 

 Knowing the rapid advance of the Dutch emigrants 

 towards the interior, little hope was left that we should 

 succeed, where they had already settled for a while; and 

 we only expected success by going beyond their set- 

 tlement, more towards the north into the interior. Con- 

 sidering the extent of country, which the Betchuana nation 

 occupies, it was very probable, that we should fall in with 

 some remnants of that tribe in those remote regions; we 

 thought it necessary to provide us with an interpreter and 

 guide, as the opportunity seemed more favourable here than 

 at any further place. Mr. Giddy, to whose kindness and 

 much valuable information, especially respecting this tribe, 

 we are greatly indebted, communicated our object to 

 Morocco, and by thus recommending us to the latter, we 

 received two trustworthy men as guide and interpreter j and 

 before we left the place, Morocco, with two of his brothers 

 and several of his councillors paid us several visits, and 

 seemed highly satisfied with the manner they were enter- 

 tained in our camp. 



The view at Taba Uncha, more properly called Tawanchu, 

 is bounded by various hills, chiefly composed of a reddish 

 sandstone ; some of them rising to the rank of mountains 

 towards its eastern flanks. Wood is exceedingly scarce here, 

 and grows chiefly towards the higher part of these hills, 

 where it is nearly already exhausted on account of the nume- 



