38 SALT-PANS. 



At Nchokotsa we came upon the first of a great number 

 of sa't-pans, covered with an efflorescence of lime, probably 

 the nitrate. A thick belt of mopane-trees (a Bauhinia) 

 hides this salt-pan, which is twenty miles in circumference, 

 entirely from the view of a person coming from the south- 

 east ; and, at the time the pan burst upon our view, the 

 setting sun was casting a beautiful blue haze over the white 

 incrustations, making the whole look exactly like a lake. 

 Oswell threw his hat up in the air at the sight, and shouted 

 out a huzza which made the poor Bushwoman and the 

 Bak wains think him mad. I was a little behind him, and 

 was as completely deceived by it as he; but, as we had 

 agreed to allow each other to behold the lake at the same 

 instant, I felt a little chagrined that he had, unintentionally, 

 got the first glance. We had no idea that the long-looked- 

 for lake was still more than three hundred miles distant. 

 One reason of our mistake was that the river Zouga was 

 often spoken of by the same name as the lake, — viz. : Noka 

 ea Batletli, (" Biver of the Batletli.") 



On the 4th of July we went forward on horseback toward 

 what we supposed to be the lake, and again and again did 

 we seem to see it; but at last we came to the veritable 

 water of the Zouga, and found it to be a river running to 

 the N.E. A village of Bakurutse lay on the opposite bank: 

 these live among Batletli, a tribe having a click in their 

 iuiiguage, and who were found by Sebituane to possess large 

 herds of the great horned cattle. They seem allied to the 

 Hottentot family. Mr. Oswell, in trying to cross the river, 

 got his horse bogged in the swampy bank. Two Bakwains 

 and I managed to get over by wading beside a fishing-weir. 

 The people were friendly, and informed us that this water 

 came out of Ngami. This news gladdened all our hearts, 

 for we now felt certain of reaching our goal. We might, 

 they said, be a moon on the way : but we had the river 

 Zouga at our feet, and by following it we should at last 

 reach the broad water. 



Next day, when we were quite disposed to be friendly 



