DIFFICULTIES OF THE TRAVELLERS, 287 



sphere, mar and ruin one of the most splendid scenes 

 of earthly beauty. 



The Mapoota River is called by the natives La 

 Zoota, and is increased by the Ungovooma and Pon- 

 gola streams, the first and last of which have their 

 sources on the western side of the Bambo Moun- 

 tains. The banks of the Mapoota are marshy, and 

 covered with reeds, and the whole country is nearly 

 a dead level, as stated by the natives, as far as Mo- 

 sambique. 



Between the ford which the travellers crossed and 

 the English River, a distance of about eighty miles, 

 the country seems to possess no particular interest. 

 A large portion of the route lay through an unin- 

 habited tract, desolated by Chaka, and now only 

 occupied by elephants; and our undaunted country- 

 men were continually impeded by salt lakes of stag- 

 nant water, boggy ground, and forests of stunted 

 shrubs. The soil is remarkably light — indeed as 

 sandy as the sea-shore. 



They kept in the vicinity of the Mapoota River for 

 four days ; but on the 22nd made a little deviation to 

 a kraal on the coast, under a Chief named Migata, 

 where they had the welcome sight of a vessel an- 

 chored in Delagoa Bay. To this they dispatched a 

 native with a note to its commander for some com- 

 forts of which they were entirely destitute ; but the 

 poor fellow, contrary to the orders of Cowie and 

 Green, took it to the Portuguese Governor, who sent 



