APPENDIX. 231 
We then jogged merrily on, the country improving as 
we reached the Vaal River, which we crossed a little below 
the forsaken Missionary Station of Platberg. Here I 
obtained some splendid additions to my ornithological col- 
lections. ‘The country we found completely uninhabited all 
the way from Modder River to Poccanna, only having met 
two or three Griquas and a few Bechuanas at Bootchaap. 
Poccanna is a beautiful place, the country around it abound- 
ing in game of all sorts, with an abundance of fine grass, 
and the plains and hills covered with beautiful clumps of 
camel-thorns, and other trees of the mimosa family. Here 
we found several kraals of Corannas*, who appeared to have 
a good stock of cattle, and plenty of milk. The kaross 
among them appeared to have given place to leather jackets 
and trowsers, and some even enjoyed the luxury of a shirt, 
but which is never washed from the time it is put on till 
worn out. Most of them possess fire-arms and horses, which 
they not only use in the chace, but, like their Griqua neigh- 
bours, occasionally in their predatory excursions against the 
Bechuanas and other unprotected tribes. One day’s jour- 
ney from Poccanna is a place called Towné, situated on the 
Hart River, at present the residence of a once powerful 
Baharutsu chief, called Makhatla, with a few of his tribe. 
This man was once, I am told, very rich, and resided in the 
capital of his kingdom, called by Campbell Kurrechane, but 
was driven thence some time ago by the all-conquering 
Zoola chief, Masilikatsie +, who has now made that place his 
head-quarters. Leaving the Hart River, we passed the 
ruins of a very extensive Bechuana town, its numerous stone 
kraals being still in a good state of repair, though it was 
forsaken by its inhabitants on the irruption of the Mantatees, 
* Koranas of the Map. 
‘+ Matacatzee of the Map. 
