40 EXPEDITION INTO 



iiig'lit. The spirits of the bolder were damped by the g"loomy 

 foreboding's of the more cowardly^ nor would they have 

 proceeded if John April had not fortunately, though un- 

 warrantably, presumed to broach the g-rog'-cask during- the 

 nio'ht : e'ettino- so drunk himself, that we were oblio'ed to 

 leave him to come on behind, whilst the rest became suffi- 

 cientl}" courag'eous to resume the journey in the dark — not, 

 however, until they had broken the pole of the wag-g-on, 

 which we soon replaced. 



As the morning's dawn slowly withdrew the curtain from 

 the landscape, we perceived the aspect of the country com- 

 pletely changed. Instead of the dreary waste over which 

 we had lately passed, we might now imagine ourselves in 

 an extensive park. A lawn, level as a billiard-table, was 

 ever3^where spread with a soft carpet of luxuriant green 

 grass, spangled with flowers, and shaded by spreading mo- 

 kaalas—^ large species of acacia* with an umbrella-shaped 

 top, which forms the favourite food of the giraffe. The 

 gaudy yellow blossoms with which these remarkable trees 

 were covered, yielded an aromatic and overpowering perfume 

 — while small troops of striped quaggas or wild asses, and 

 of brindled gnoos, which were for the first time to be seen 

 through the forest, enlivened the scene. After travelling- 

 four hours we reached Little Chooi, an extensive salt-lake, 

 surrounded by troops of ostriches and spring-bucks, attrac- 

 ted thither by the luxuriant, j^et crisp and sour grass, which 

 our cattle refused to eat — and by a small pond of intoler- 

 able alkaline water, which we found it impossible to purify. 



Several armed natives of theBarolong- and Batlaroo tribes, 

 branches of the Bechuana, visited us for the purpose of 

 beg-ging muchuJio or tobacco, causing- great consternation by 

 their approach. Poor Richard in particular, who till yester- 

 day had considered himself a, perfect Ba^^ard '^ sans peur 



* Acacia Giraffne. 



