The Conquest of the Desert 



evening we traversed splendid farming land — a 

 soil of river-silt — the overflow of the Molopo. 

 Vast stretches of bushman grass. Out spanned 

 at 6 p.m. at the end of Springbok Vlei. Shot 

 some partridges. Fine night. 



Saturday, 11th May. — Started at 6.15 a.m. 

 Crossing sand-dunes. Arrived three hours 

 after at Obobogorop which, being interpreted, 

 means " the hole dug out by the ant-bear in 

 which water was found." We are only now 

 2 J miles from the German border, and dim 

 against a red sand-dune can see International 

 Beacon No. 92. Here we had a chat with Mr 

 H. C. Botha, who owns 7000 morgen, and has 

 struck fresh water at 64 feet. Farmer Botha 

 wants : (1) a Government bore ; (2) a tele- 

 graph or telephone ; (3) a post office. He 

 points out that all the German Police Posts are 

 supplied with telephones. In fact, the whole 

 country (German South Africa) is now a net- 

 work of telephone wires, linking with civilisa- 

 tion the loneliest settler and the most distant 

 police station. 



At Obobogorop the Cape Mounted Police 

 have a sub-station. The corporal in charge 

 was out in the desert alone on his camel, so 

 we did not see him ; but Privates Freeman 



42 



