CURDS — BITTER WATERS. 1 47 



the natives, in order to render it palatable and wholesome, 

 mix the salt with the juice of a gummy plant, then place 

 it in the sand and bake it by making a fire over it ; the 

 lime then becomes insoluble and tasteless. 



The Bamangwato keep large flocks of sheep and goats 

 at various spots on this side of the Desert. They thrive 

 wonderfully well wherever salt and bushes are to be found. 

 The milk of goats does not coagulate with facility, like 

 that of cows, on account of its richness ; but the natives 

 have discovered that the infusion of the fruit of a sola- 

 naceous plant, Toluane, quickly produces the effect. The 

 Bechuanas put their milk into sacks made of untanned 

 hide, with the hair taken off. Hung in the sun, it soon 

 coagulates ; the whey is then drawn off by a plug at the 

 bottom, and fresh milk added, until the whole sack is full 

 of a thick sour curd, which, when one becomes used to it, 

 is delicious. The rich mix this in the porridge into which 

 they convert their meal, and, as it is thus rendered 

 nutritious and strength-giving, an expression of scorn is 

 sometimes heard respecting the poor or weak, to the 

 effect that " they are mere water-porridge men." It 

 occupies the place of our roast beef. 



At Nchokotsa, the rainy season having this year been 

 delayed beyond the usual time, we found during the day 

 the thermometer stand at 96 ° in the coolest possible shade. 

 This height at Kolobeng always portended rain at hand. 

 At Kuruman, when it rises above 84 , the same pheno- 

 menon may be considered near ; while farther north it 

 rises above ioo° before the cooling influence of the 

 evaporation from rain may be expected. Here the bulb 

 of the thermometer, placed two inches beneath the soil, 

 stood at 128 . All around Nchokotsa the country looked 

 parched, and the glare from the white efflorescence which 

 covers the extensive pans on all sides was most distressing 

 to the eyes. The water of Nchokotsa was bitter, and 

 presented indications not to be mistaken of having passed 

 through animal systems before. All these waters contain 

 nitrates, which stimulate the kidneys and increase the 

 thirst. The fresh additions of water required in cooking 

 meat, each imparting its own portion of salt, make one 

 grumble at the cook for putting too much seasoning in, 

 whilst in fact he has put in none at all, except that con- 

 tained in the water. Of bitter, bad, disgusting waters I 

 have drunk not a few nauseous draughts ; you may try 



