162 Progress and present Stale of Geographical 



at the village of Beaufort, on the borders of the Karroo, but 

 which, from several causes, fell into disuse. In 1825 facilities 

 were therefore afforded to the Colonists to proceed for the same 

 parpose beyond the limits of the Colony to the kraals of the 

 natives, and numerous parties soon took advantage of this 

 permission, several of them opening up new routes, imtil a 

 wide and intimate knowledge has been gained of the regions to 

 the northward. Of the most important of these I shall now give 

 a rapid sketch, begging at the same time tlie indulgence of 

 the meeting for this lengthened paper, which has already ira- 

 perceptibly grown far beyond the limits which I had at first pre- 

 scribed to myself. 



• In 1826 Messrs. Baix and Biddulph (the former* having 

 been the first to take advantage of the Government proclama- 

 tion opening the trade, and who visited the country in 1825), 

 having reached the Chue lake, or Honing Vley, the extreme 

 point of Burchell, where I shall therefore take them up, started 

 thence in a N. E. direction, about 80 miles to the westward of 

 Campbell's route, and succeeded in gaining a town of the 

 Baquina tribe of Bechuanas, called Litabaruba, within about 

 40 miles of the Tropic of Capricorn, and in about long. 26. 30., 

 penetrating a country from the before named lake, the great 

 haunt of wild animals, and of the stately Giraffe, covered with 

 a lofty but scattered bush, supplied with small springs, where 

 numerous Bechuana outposts were established, they crossed the 

 river IMoloppo (discovered by Campbell) hi about lat. 25. 40, 

 and long. 24. 50, 120 miles below the point where he passed 

 that stream. From this they proceeded to a river supplied by 

 scanty springs, called the Loorolani, lat. 25. 15 and long. 25. 25, 

 through a tract abounding with game, especially the white 

 Rhinoceros, an animal almost unknown to Naturalists From 

 this point they proceeded to Siloqualalie, in about lat 25, and 

 long. 26. 10, the new capital of the Bawanketz, Melita, its 

 former city, having been destroyed, and its sovereign, Mak- 

 kabba, killed by the Mantatees, as already related. Between 

 the Loorolani river and town of Siloqualalie, a distance of 50 

 miles, were fine open plains, diversified by low conical hills, 

 the soil a deep red sand, the springs weak, and situated in a 

 calcareous soil. At Siloqualalie the traders were well received 

 by Sibigho, the successor of Makkabba, who invited them to 

 assist him in dislodging a party of Mantatees, who had in- 

 trenched themselves at Litabaruba, a principal town of the 

 next tribe, that of the Baquina, which had been overrun and 

 dispersed by their invaders. The small number of the trading 



• With Mr. B. KiFT, who is to accompany the New Expedition as Super* 

 inlendent of its Trading Department, 





