SOUTHEEN AFKICA.' 59 



either been torn piecemeal by lions, or speared by the assagais 

 of the cannibals ! A cup of coffee was immediately offered me, 

 "vvhich as I had scarcely tasted nourishment for thirt}' hours 

 proved highly grateful ; and I learned that Richardson had 

 been obliged to halt in the plain the preceding night, in 

 consequence of the great length of the march, and the 

 darkness overtakino- him. This accounted for my not 

 meetino- him on the ri\"er bank, which we ao-ain reached in 

 about two hours, encamping under a grove of spreading 

 mokaala trees. 



Both the Sicklagole and the Meritsane take their source 

 in the low range of hills called Kunuana, considerably to the 

 eastward of the point where we crossed them • and, joining- 

 about the same distance to the westward, empty themselves 

 into the Molopo. Near their confluence the camp of Mr. 

 Bain, a trader to whose name I have already alluded, was 

 attacked in 1834 by Moselekatse. A party of marauding- 

 Griquas, whom he had imprudently taken with him to assist 

 in hunting, entered the territories of that prince, and suc- 

 ceeded in capturing several head of cattle, with ^A hich they 

 had made good their retreat. A large party of warriors, 

 however, overtook them when A\ithin sight of the camp- 

 nearly all the followers fled in disorder on the first alarm, 

 leaving their master to shift for himself, who, finding the 

 camp surrounded and resistance vain, jumped on his horse, 

 and, accompanied b}' four of his people, narrowly escaped 

 with life, b}' riding through and killing some of the 

 assailants. After travelling several days, and suffering 

 dreadfull}^ from want of food and water, the party reached 

 Motito nearer dead than alive. 



The reports of four savages of the Batlapi tribe who 

 joined us yesterda}', determined us to halt a day for the 

 purpose of hunting. Richardson and myself left the waggons 

 at daybreak, attended b}^ these men, and crossing the river, 



