CHAPTER VIII. 
Again at Tati — Fresh causes of delay — Lions on the Motloutsi — 
Threatened by natives — Forthcoming prospects. 
By the 21st of May Frank Oates was again back at 
Tati from Bamangwato, this time completing the 
journey without further mishap. Little worthy of 
note occurred upon the road. The weather was now 
settled ; the rains had ceased, and the days were 
usually bright and fine. The general aspect of the 
country was bare and brown, though, where water 
was met with, there was still for the most part a 
corresponding freshness in the landscape, as was the 
case at "Tchakani Vlei," a beautiful pond, surrounded 
by wood and covered with water-lilies, which was 
reached the second day of the journey. Again at 
the Palatswe River, further on, was water and abun- 
dance of fresh grass, the latter supplying excellent 
pasture for the oxen. But some days forced marches 
were required, to get from one watering-place to 
another, these in the winter season being few in 
number. 
This scarcity of water sufficiently accounted for 
the general absence of game upon the route, only a few 
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