136 Progress and present State of Geographical 



the adjacent nations, and were particularly expert in the 

 manipulation of metals, with which their country abounds — 

 The streams seen by Campbell in the vicinity of this place, and 

 for some days previous to reaching it, took an easterly course, 

 appearing- Xo be the sources of considerable waters, which, 

 according to native testimony, ran to the Indian Ocean. The 

 country is very mountainous, especially on the north, and it is 

 evident, from this traveller's observation, he was treading a 

 very elevated region. — Rain was abundant, this being the 

 winter season, and great cold was experienced. The route 

 travelled in many places was very sandy, and sometimes well 

 covered with forests of mimosas, traversed by fine rivulets, 

 which became much more frequent as he neared the limit of his 

 excursion. He passed several pools and lakes, some were 

 brackish, and one, called the Choo-y-my-Mirrebooh, in lat. 

 25. 50. long. 25. 50., five miles in circumference, perfectly 

 saline, probably lying over a bed of rock salt, the most likely 

 cause of the numerous salt-pans of the colony, and others of 

 the interior situated several hundreds of miles from the coast. 



On his way to Kurreechane, and in about lat. 25. 46. and 

 long. 26. 15. he visited Mashow, the capital of the Battama- 

 chas, then having a population of 12,000 souls, and, like the 

 other Bechuana towns, surrounded by extensive fields of 

 Guinea corn ; and, a little in advance of the place, fell in 

 with the ruins of stone kraals, indicating the position of a 

 former race, superior to the present Bechuanas, who are not 

 accustomed to build with such substantial materials. About 

 40 miles beyond the city of Mashow he crossed the Moloppo, 

 a fine river (mentioned but not seen by Burchell,) near its 

 source ; it was 30 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. This stream is 

 known to join the Kuruman, after a long run, and with it in 

 rainy seasons to reach the Gariep. 



Dr. Campbell represents the country as being in many places 

 covered with a rocky pavement, in the interstices of which the 

 grass grows with great luxuriance ; and the hills, being formed 

 of sand-stone, from which it appears to be similar in its 

 geological characters to that described by Burchell, the pave- 

 ment being composed of primitive lime-stone, scantily covered 

 with a very thin crust of vegetable mould. 



On his return to Kuruman, or new Leettakoo, he made a 

 detour upon the borders of a desert, called by the natives 

 Kalighanny, supposed to extend from the banks of the Gariep 

 to the 10th degree of south latitude, and from about 30 miles 

 east of the Kamhanni range of mountains, to the country of 

 the Damaras. A chain of wells, deeply situated in lime-stone, 

 from which water is obliged to be laded for the use of the 

 cattle, or marshy oases, are reported to exist across thia 



