Chap. VII. THE poku. 187 



The village, situated on the side of a wooded ridge, 

 commands an extensive view of a great expanse of meadow 

 and marsh lying along the bank of the river. On these 

 holmes herds of buffaloes and waterbucks daily graze in 

 security, as they have in the reedy marshes a refuge into 

 which they can run on the approach of danger. The 

 pretty little tianyane or ourebi is abundant further on, 

 and herds of blue weldebeests or brindled gnus (Katoblepas 

 Gorgon) amused us by their fantastic capers. They pre- 

 sent a much more ferocious aspect than the lion himself, 

 but are quite timid. We never could, by waving a red 

 handkerchief, according to the prescription, induce them 

 to venture near to us. It may therefore be that the 

 red colour excites their fury only when wounded or hotly 

 pursued. Herds of lechee or lechwe now enliven the 

 meadows ; and they and their younger brother, the grace- 

 ful poku, smaller, and of a rounder contour, race together 

 towards the grassy fens. We venture to call the poku 

 after the late Major Yardon, a noble-hearted African 

 traveller ; but fully anticipate that some aspiring Nimrod 

 will prefer that his own name should go down to posterity 

 on the back of this buck. 



Midway between Tabacheu and the Great Falls the 

 streams begin to flow westward. On the other side they 

 begin to flow east. Large round masses of granite, some- 

 what like old castles, tower aloft about the Kalomo. The 

 country is an elevated plateau, and our men knew and 

 named the different plains as we passed them by. 



On the 13th we met a party from Sekeletu, who was 

 now at Sesheke. Our approach had been reported, and 

 they had been sent to ask the Doctor what the price of 

 a horse ought to be ; and what he said, that they were 

 to give and no more. In reply they were told that by 

 their having given nine large tusks for one horse before 

 the Doctor came, the Griquas would naturally imagine 



