THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 93 



immediately abutting on Lake N'Ghaami and the 

 Botletle River. Even horse-sickness, although not 

 unknown, is not very destructive in the Kalliharri, 

 except in the districts I have mentioned above, 

 and these parts are quite unfitted for settlement by 

 white people. Strange to say, as 'yet no organised 

 attempt has been made to explore the central parts 

 of the " Thirst Land," which is only known to have 

 been occasionally (in tsamma seasons) traversed 

 by native hunting parties in search of ostrich 

 feathers, and as a general rule few white men have 

 done more than make flying excursions from the 

 fringe of scanty waters on its south-west side, 

 extending some thirty miles or so into its recesses. 

 Nor does it appear likely that this region will be 

 thoroughly explored until Government or some 

 public body takes the matter up and goes to the 

 expense of a properly equipped expedition for the 

 purpose. Personally, I have travelled completely 

 round the Kalliharri, starting from Uppington, on 

 the Orange River, to Oliphant's Kloof, on the 

 Lake, and back to the Transvaal via Khama's 

 country. During the trip, which lasted over a 

 year, by taking advantage of information derived 

 from the wild bushmen of the desert, as to patches 



