Chap. XIX.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 161 



many savages assembled from neighbouring kraals, 

 clamorous for snuff. One old lady inhaled it in 

 large quantities, and without wasting a single grain, 

 by means of a long tube of wood, the ends of which 

 were respectively applied to her nose and to the 

 back of her hand on which the powder was placed. 



The country through which we passed this day 

 was more thickly wooded than any we had seen since 

 leaving Kurrichane : and I for the first time ob- 

 served several pit-falls constructed for the purpose 

 of taking the rhinoceros. They differed from others 

 in being dug singly instead of in groups — very deep 

 and large — at the extremity of a narrow path cut 

 through the bushes, and fenced outside with thorns 

 — a sharp turn leading directly upon the trap, so 

 that an unwieldy animal, being driven furiously 

 dovvn the avenue, could have no chance of avoiding 

 the snare. Many skulls and bones of these huge 

 beasts were lying at the bottom of the sepulchres 

 that had swallowed them up alive. 



After travelling upwards of fifteen miles, and 

 passing three or four very large kraals, we arrived at 

 the Tolaan River, a deep, narrow, and rocky channel, 

 containing several extensive pools — the hollowed 

 banks bearing testimony to the depth and rapidity 

 of the current at certain seasons. The bed was 

 perfectly dry where we crossed, but covered with 

 huge fragments of granite, which threw the waggons 

 from side to side with frightful violence — and, added 

 to the almost perpendicular character of the banks, 

 rendered the passage extremely j^erilous. We 



