148 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



did not break cover. As I rode along I saw six croco- 

 diles and a great number of monkeys of two varieties ; 

 also several deadly serpents, one of them a cobra, very 

 similar to the Indian cobra. Bees were very abundant 

 along the Limpopo, the gigantic old hollow trees afford- 

 ing them abundant homes. My natives brought me 

 some fine honey while I was taking my breakfast ; they 

 found it in an old ant-hill. I was astonished to observe 

 along the banks of the river enormous trees, from three 

 to four feet in diameter, cut down by the Bakalahari 

 only for the sake of the honey which they contain. The 

 Bakalahari fell them with immense trouble and per- 

 severance, with little tomahawks of their own formation. 



The ant-hills along the Limpopo and throughout this 

 part of Africa are truly wonderful ; it is common to see 

 them upward of twenty feet high and one hundred feet 

 in circumference. They are composed of clay, which 

 hardens in the sun like a brick ; they have generally 

 one tall tapering spire in the middle of the fabric, the 

 base of the spire being surrounded with similar projec- 

 tions of smaller height. The natives informed me that 

 we were opposite to the tribe Seleka, whom they trie^ 

 to persuade me to visit, but I resolved to stick to the 

 Limpopo. 



On the 22d we came upon the Macoolwey, a large, 

 clear running river, joining the Limpopo from the south- 

 east : here I bagged a princely water-buck. 



At dawn of the succeeding day I rode forth to try to 

 cross the Limpopo and hunt for serolomootloo(Jues, but 

 failed to find a drift. I then rode some distance along 

 the bank of the Macoolwey seeking a passage ; but I 

 was still unsuccessful. I then retraced my steps to the 

 Limpopo, determined to get through, cost what it might, 

 as the banks looked very promising for sorolomootloo- 



