CiiAP.VIII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. bo 



scrutiny, the vendor suddenly makes up his mind, 

 and closes the negociation by greedily scraping to- 

 gether the equivalent, with which he immediately 

 makes off in triumph, leaving the happy purchaser 

 in undisturbed possession of his bargain. By virtue 

 of six yards o^ pig- tail, and a suitable stock of pa- 

 tience, it is practicable to become the proprietor of a 

 caross, which, in an European market, would realize 

 from fifty to a hundred rix-dollars.. Traders, or 

 smouches, as they are called by the colonists, con- 

 stantly visit Latakoo and its neighbourhood, and 

 often proceed to a considerable distance beyond it 

 into the interior, for the purpose of thus collecting 

 ivory and peltries for the Cape market ; availing 

 themselves of the opportunity of supplying the 

 farmers and missionaries lying in their outward 

 route, with the portable luxuries of life. We were 

 constantly taxed with being itinerant pedlars, the 

 profession of a gentleman being quite unknown in 

 the colony. It must, however, be observed, that 

 the field for traffic is extremely limited, and that 

 fortunes are rarely made. 



The scattered inhabitants of this part of the 

 country are the remnants of narious Bechuana tribes, 

 which have been conquered by Moselekatze — and 

 consist principally of the Barolong, Wangkets, 

 Batlapi, and Baharootzi. These poor wretches live 

 in small communities, and, being destitute of cattle, 

 depend entirely for subsistence on locusts, or such 

 game as chance may direct to their pitfalls. Crowds 

 of them, attracted by prey, now hovered around me 



