XV.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 119 



CHAPTER XV. 



ARRIVAL AT KAPAIN, AND VISIT FROM THE CHIEF 

 MOSELEKATSE. 



The absence of water, added to our anxiety to kiss 

 the hand of his Majesty, induced us to yoke the 

 oxen much earlier than usual on the 24th. The 

 Hottentots were all in high spirits, their timidity 

 having actually left them for a season. It seemed 

 as if some new and exciting emotion were felt at our 

 near approach to the king, which they considered 

 as a crisis in their fate. Even Coeur de Lion was 

 resigned to his doom — he had dried his eyes, and 

 went like a lamb to the slaughter. It was a soft 

 golden morning, and five miles travelling over a 

 fertile plain, broken occasionally by isolated hills of 

 inconsiderable altitude — and covered with large 

 herds of oxen, brought us within a short distance of 

 three conical mountains, disposed in a triangular 

 form, within the area enclosed by which we were told 

 that the royal kraal would be found. As our ap- 

 proach was discovered, the tops of the hills became 

 lined with natives, some of whom ran down at inter- 

 vals to report our progress, but it was not until we 

 had actually entered the gorge, that a miserable 

 hamlet was perceived, which Baba immediately 

 pointed out as the imperial residence. 



