Chap. XVII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 143 



probable that two " poor Indian gentlemen" could 

 have achieved so desirable and arduous an under- 

 taking, we were yet compelled to sacrifice to circum- 

 stances our thirst for geographical discovery beyond 

 the tropic of Capricorn. 



In order that there might be no excuse for delay- 

 ing our departure, we sent Baba in the afternoon to 

 ask the king's permission to pitch the "house" in 

 his kraal. He was taking a siesta in Mi-. Bain's 

 waggon, but came out immediately in high spirits, 

 and pointed out the spot upon which he had deter- 

 mined that it should be erected. Whilst this was 

 beino' done, I had an opportunity of leisurely ex- 

 amining the imperial kraal. The plan of the en- 

 closure was circular, a thick and high thorn fence 

 surrounding an area which was strewed with the 

 skulls, paws, and tails of lions, some of them quite 

 fresh, others bleached by long exposure to the sun. 

 Below the waggon I observed a pile of old muskets, 

 probably some that had been taken on the defeat of 

 Barend's Griquas in 1831. 'I'he I'oyal lodge, and the 

 apartments of the ladies, were shut off by a rough 

 irregular palisade ; and a portion of this enclosure 

 was siu'rounded by a very closely woven wattle fence, 

 having only one aperture of barely sufficient dimen- 

 sions to admit the king's portly person upon all 

 fours. The space was smeared with a mixture of 

 mud and cow-dung, resembling that used in all parts 

 of India for similar purposes. In the centre stood 

 a circular, plunipudding-shaped hut, about twelve 

 feet in diameter, and perhaps four in height, sub- 



