the Birds of Ngamiland. 357 



Tliougli the series of Birds is not very large or complete, 

 the specimens procured form a valuable addition to the 

 National Collection, nothing having been received from 

 Ngamiland since James Chapman and C. J. Andersson 

 visited that country nearly fifty years ago. 



Lake Ngami (text-fig. 10, p. 356) is situated in the north 

 of the Kalahari Desert, and lies between 20° and 21° South 

 latitude, and in 23° East longitude. There are two routes 

 to the Lake through British territory, which have been used 

 by traders for the last fifty years. One from Palapye Road 

 Station, via Serowe (Khama^s capital), and thence N. and 

 N.E. across the desert to the nearest point of the Botletle 

 River, whence the road follows the river up to the Lake. 

 This was Livingstone's way and is the best-known — in fact, 

 it is now the only route used. The other, which starts from 

 Mafeking, goes west, via Kakia and Kokong to Lehutitu, and 

 thence north past Okwa and Glianzi to the Lake. This route 

 is never nsed now, and when we travelled by it in 1909 only 

 one wagon had been along the track during the previous six 

 years, so that it was almost entirely obliterated between 

 Lehutitu and Ghanzi. For various reasons Ave decided to 

 start from Vryburg, and, crossing the Molopo River to 

 join the IMafeking-Lehutitu road at Kakia. This is really 

 the shortest road from Vryburg to Lake Ngami and passes 

 through the middle of the desert; but, in time, the first- 

 mentioned route is a little shorter, since the journey as 

 far as Palapye Road can be made by rail. 



The expedition was fitted out at Vryburg, the transport 

 consisting of one full-tented ox-wagon, twenty oxen, and two 

 riding-horses, as well as three natives (a driver, a leader, 

 and a cook). It is absolutely essential that the driver should 

 be a first-class man, thoroughly experienced in handling 

 oxen in a thirst-country, and he must know what oxen can 

 do, otherwise such a journey is almost certain to end in 

 serious disaster, with loss of all transport and probably the 

 lives of all concerned. 



The South-African ox-wagon is not really a very suitable 

 conveyance for travelling in the Kalahari. It is very heavy 



