CHAPTER VIII. 



Again at Tati — Fresh causes of delay — Lions on the Motlautsi — 

 Threatened by natives — Forthcoming prospects. 



By the 21st of May Frank Oates was again back at 

 Tati from Bamangwato, this time completing the 

 journey without further mishap. Little worthy of 

 note occurred upon the road. The weather was now 

 settled ; the rains had ceased, and the days were 

 usually bright and fine. The general aspect of the 

 country was bare and brown, though, where water 

 was met with, there was still for the most part a 

 corresponding freshness in the landscape, as was the 

 case at Tchakani Vlei, a beautiful pond surrounded 

 by wood and covered with water-lilies, which was 

 reached the second day of the journey. Again at 

 the Palatswe River, farther on, was water and abun- 

 dance of fresh grass, the latter supplying excellent 

 pasture for the oxen. But some days forced marches 

 were required, to get from one watering-place to 

 another, these in the winter season being few in 

 number. 



This scarcity of water sufficiently accounted for 

 the general absence of game upon the route, only a few 



M 



