THE MARIQUA. 71 



oeth ^imployed in my service. The afternoon was 

 spent in drying the wet main of the lion, skinning out 

 the feet, and preserving the skin with alum and arsen- 

 ical soap. 



On the 27th we reached the junction of the Mariqua 

 with the Limpopo, when we once more bade farewell to 

 the latter, and held up the northern bank of the Mari- 

 qua. This fine little river averages here about five or 

 six yards in width, and meanders along in a very ser- 

 pentine course through a very broad open vley, its 

 banks being in many places destitute of cover, except- 

 ing reeds, and in others is densely clad with groves of 

 thorn and willow trees, &c. Here I found reitbuck. . 

 which do not frequent the Limpopo in those parts which 

 I have visited. Thetcountry looked fresh and green, and 

 all the iTsual varieties of game were abundant. Ele- 

 phants had been frequenting the district some months 

 previously, but had now deserted it. About fifty miles 

 to the south and east a very bold and rocky extensive 

 blue mountain chain towered in grand relief above the 

 intervening level forest. The length of this mountain 

 chain seemed to be about a hundred miles, its course 

 about northeast, and it gi-adually became loftier and 

 more rugged toward the northeastern extremity. I be- 

 lieve the Limpopo rises somewhere to the east of this 

 chain,'lind I felt a strong desire to follow it to its source, 

 but under existing circumstances this measure was not 

 advisable. On the march we passed a small village of 

 Bakalahari, which was surrounded with heaps of bones 

 and skulls of game. 



Next day we marched about eight miles up the river, 

 and outspanned in a wide open vley. On the march I 

 shot one sassayby, and wounded two black rhinoceroses, 

 In the afternoon I rode up the edge of the river witli 



