Chap. III. THE ZOUGA. 63 



tots, ran off towards the deceitful pools. A herd of zebras in the 

 mirage looked so exactly like elephants, that Oswell began to 

 saddle a horse in order to hunt them ; but a sort of break in the 

 haze dispelled the illusion. Looking to the west and north-west 

 from Nckokotsa, we could see columns of black smoke, exactly 

 like those from a steam-engine, rising to the clouds, and were 

 assured that these arose from the burning reeds of the Noka ea 

 Batletli. 



On the 4th of July we went forward on horseback towards 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 language, and who were found by 

 Sebituane to possess large herds of the great homed 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 the 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 with 

 every one, two of the Bamangwato, who had been sent on before 

 us by Sekomi to drive away all the Bushmen and Bakalahari from 

 our path, so that they should not assist or guide us, came and sat 

 down by our fire. We had seen their footsteps fresh in the way, 

 and they had watched our slow movements forward, and wondered 

 to see how we, without any Bushmen, found our way to the waters. 

 This was the first time they had seen Bamotobi. " You have 

 reached the river now," said they ; and we, quite disposed to 

 laugh at having won the game, felt no ill-will to any one. They 

 seemed to feel no enmity to us either ; but after an apparently 

 friendly conversation proceeded to fulfil to the last the instructions 

 of their chief. Ascending the Zouga in our front, they circulated 

 the report that our object was to plunder all the tribes living on 

 the river and lake ; but when they had got half way up the river, 

 the principal man sickened of fever, turned back some distance, 



