APPEARANCES DECEITFUL. 19 



of these basaltic hills near Letloche I was only ten days 

 distant from the lower part of the Souga, which passed by 

 the same name as Lake Ngami; and 1 might then (in 

 1842) have discovered that lake, had discovery alone been 

 my object. Most part of this journey beyond Shokuane 

 ivas performed on foot, in consequence of the draught-oxen 

 having become sick. Some of my companions who had 

 recently joined us, and did not know that I understood a 

 little of their speech, were overheard by me discussing my 

 appearance and powers: "He is not strong; he is quite 

 slim, and only appears stout because he puts himself into 

 those bags, (trowsers :) he will soon knock up." This 

 caused my Highland blood to rise, and made me despise the 

 fatigue of keeping them all at the top of their speed for 

 days together, and until I heard them expressing proper 

 opinions of my pedestrian powers. 



Returning to Kuruman, in order to bring my luggage 

 to our proposed settlement, I was followed by the news 

 that the tribe of Bakwains, who had shown themselves so 

 friendly toward me, had been driven from Lepelole by the 

 Barolongs, so that my prospects for the time of forming a 

 settlement there were at an end. One of those periodical 

 outbreaks of war, which seem to have occurred from time 

 immemorial, for the possession of cattle, had burst forth in 

 the land, and had so changed the relations of the tribes to 

 each othei that I was obliged to set out anew to look for 

 a suitable locality for a mission-station. 



As some of the Bamangwato people had accompanied me 

 to Kuruman, I was obliged to restore them and their goods 

 to their chief Sekdmi. This made a journey to the residence 

 of that chief again necessary, and, for the first time, I per- 

 formed a distance of some hundred miles on ox-back. 



Returning toward Kuruman, I selected the beautiful 

 valley of Mabotsa (lat. 25° 14' south, long. 26° 30'?) as tho 

 site of a missionary station, and thither I removed in 1843. 

 Here an occurrence took place concerning which I have 

 frequently been questioned in England, and which, but for 



