Chap. XXVIII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 243 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



RETURN TO THE SOUTHWARD FROM THE TROPIC 

 OF CAPRICORN. 



Although hunting the cameleopard we coniinued 

 to advance to the northward, by marches of ten and 

 fifteen miles a day, over extensive rugged tracts, 

 strewed with numerous stone walls, once thronged 

 by thousands, but now presenting no vestige of in- 

 habitants. Wherever we turned, the hand of the 

 destroyer was apparent : 



" The locusts' wasting swarm. 



Which mightiest nations dread," 



is not more destructive to vegetation than he has 

 been to the population of this section of Southern 

 Africa. We frequently travelled for days without 

 meeting a solitary human being — occasionally only 

 falling in with the small and starving remnant of 

 some pastoral tribe of Bechuana, that had been 

 plundered by Moselekatse's warriors. These fa- 

 mished wretches, some of whom had been herdino- 

 the king's cattle during the absence of Kalipi's 

 commando, hovered around us, disputing with 

 vultures and hyaenas the carcases we left, which 

 they devoured with such brutish avidity as scarcely 

 to leave a bone to attest the slaughter. 



The moon was full on the night of the '23rd, and 



