Conversation with Khama. 323 



that lie Avoiild like to make me a present, ami 

 inquired if I would accept one. I replied that 

 any memorial of him would be most welcome and 

 ^'aluable to me ; he then took his leave, galloping off 

 on a fine bay horse which he rode with grace, fol- 

 lowed by his equerry, and looking, I thought, in 

 that position a king all over. Shortly after a 

 messeno-er arrived, bi'inoinii" me from the chief a 

 large karross, made oi' leopard skins of a quality and 

 fineness such as a great chief would alone possess 

 or be able to procure. I sent Khama in return a 

 large silver flask, which I told him was my " water 

 bottle," and which I hoped he might sometimes use 

 in his hunting expeditions, as a souvenir of an 

 English traveller and friend. Then we departed 

 for Palla Camp. The road leaving Palapye for the 

 South is even w^orse on account of deep sand and 

 rocks than the approach before mentioned. To 

 save our mules during a trek of twenty miles through 

 this ground, we had inspanned into the "spider" and 

 coach two teams of oxen. All through the night 

 we travelled, our mules driven along slowly behind 

 at their ease. At daybi-eak, after an outsijan, we 

 resorted to our mules, now much rested and 

 refreshed, and made good progress through some 

 beautiful bush country, until at noon on the ITtli 

 November Ave reached Palla Camp. Here is a 

 telegraph station, a small police detachment and a 

 good store. Leaving Palla early the next moiiiing, 

 about 10 a.m. we met the up-country mail, in which 

 was Mr. Hai-ber, the mail superintendent of the 

 Bechuanaland Exploration Company, who had 



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