ii.] GEOGRAPHY. 69 



formerly fertile. In the Beehnana country all the rivers which 

 have a westerly course are dry, or drying up. 



He found the empty hed of a large river which anciently 

 flowed from north to south : it was in this that he discovered 

 the fossils spoken of at p. 15, Lecture i. The farther south 

 you go, the more this drying up seems to take place. 



The parched Kuruman district appears formerly to have 

 been as well watered as the neighbourhood of Lake Ngami is 

 now, and the latter as well as that of Linyanti. The Mokoko, 

 now dry, was a running stream in the memory of living wit- 

 nesses. Notwithstanding, Dr Livingstone says that we may 

 hope more for the greatness of central South Africa than for 

 that of central Australia. 



We have already alluded to the geological, or 

 pect of the geographical fact, that ridges of from 150 to 200 

 newly -disco- miles in width, run down on each side, with a 

 tries. ^ great flat in the middle. These ridges are fringed 



with forests of various kinds. The banks of the 

 Zambesi are occasionally loaded with enormous timber-trees, 

 and have sometimes a park-like appearance. These are the 

 chief variations of the Makololo country. Then there exist 

 great valleys, such as the Barotse. Farther west occur some 

 flooded plains of from 15 to 20 miles in extent. The Balonda 

 country is a flat gloomy forest prairie, unhealthy, and difficult 

 to cross. There are large ant-hills in various parts : also arti- 

 ficial mounds raised by the natives for refuge in times of inun- 

 dation. 



What with "wait-a-bit" thorns, grass 6 to 8 feet high, 

 jungle and marsh in some districts, our traveller had enough to 

 do to make any onward progress at all. Yet in the midst of 

 this toilsome pilgrimage, so expressive of the journey of human 

 life, with its pains, penalties, vicissitudes and joys, some of the 

 scenes witnessed — especially on the banks of the Zambesi — 

 were of such surpassing beauty, and so perfect in repose, that 

 he was entranced with the glorious vision ; such an one as would 



13—2 



