XIX THE BOTLETLIE RIVER 399 



north, which proved to belong to Mr. Shelton, the 

 well-known trader at Lake Ngami, and was in charge 

 of a Mr. Saunders. He told us that two of the 

 waggons that had left Tlakane the previous day 

 belonged to Mr. Swithin Wood, another trader, and 

 the third to a trek Boer, who was returning to the 

 Transvaal from Ovampo Land in a destitute condi- 

 tion. We learned from Mr. Saunders that the 

 country on ahead was very dry, and the water in the 

 Botletlie river very low. 



On May 4, having got a little very brackish 

 water half-way in a pit, on the edge of the large salt- 

 pan of Chukutsa, we at last reached the Botletlie or 

 Lake river. Here we found living a lot of Makalakas 

 and Bushmen. These people are subject to Khama. 

 This is one of the most abominable spots I have yet 

 visited ; one small mud-hole from which a little 

 filthy water was all we could get for ourselves or the 

 oxen, and yet on the map this river looks like a 

 young Mississippi. At certain seasons it is doubtless 

 full, but just now it is a horrible parody upon a 

 river. Hearing on all sides that there is no water 

 on ahead between here and the kari-kari or great salt- 

 pan, and that the deep mud in the pan itself renders 

 it impassable, I determined to trek along the eastern 

 bank of the Botletlie, until well north of the kari- 

 kari, and then strike eastwards to the Mababe road. 



On May 5, therefore, we crossed the river at a 

 very good drift, the river being quite dry, and 

 travelling westwards along its bank, reached, the 

 following day, a fine hole of water, where our oxen 

 and we ourselves had a good drink of clean water, 

 the first we had had for many days. 



At daylight on the morning of May 8, we reached 

 a small encampment of Bushmen, but there being 



