The Sand-Dunes of the Desert 



the first taste of a Kalahari sand-dune. At 

 Middle Pits we came across some Hottentots 

 living under a bush. Soon we entered a remark- 

 able natural basin with terraced ground like the 

 famous " parallel roads " of Glen Roy, in the 

 west of Scotland, evidently due to the subsi- 

 dence of lake water to lower levels. Circling 

 the ancient lake-bed we passed into the Molopo, 

 beaconed by a huge hill, which we called " Cone 

 Kop." At Cone Kop the Molopo turns abruptly 

 southwards and flows into the Orange River 

 just below the Cataracts of King George. A 

 clump of handsome camel-thorn trees, growing 

 luxuriantly in the bottom of the dry bed of 

 the Molopo, forms another landmark. Just after 

 sunset we arrived thankfully at Zwart Modder 

 (Black Mud), and were glad to put up for the 

 night in the comfortable winkel 1 of Mr Harris. 







Thursday, 9th May. This morning I spent 

 some time in studying a remarkable invasion 

 of a sand-dune which had flowed like a huge lava 

 stream across the bed of the Molopo. The 

 bright red of the dune and the grey salt soil of 

 the river-bed made a striking contrast. We left 

 Zwart Modder at half-past ten on a bright and 



1 Small store. 

 29 



