JUNE.] 
JOURNEY TO LATTAKOO. 
241 
At one, P.M. left Townsend Fountain, and travelled 
among thousands of acres of long grass, or hay, reach- 
ing sometimes as high as the backs of the oxen. It is 
grievous to see so much of the world remaining in a 
wilderness state, and so much of the annual pro- 
ductions of the ground perishing without being useful 
either to man or beast. Much money must be given 
in most countries for a small spot of ground ; but here, 
a cask of tobacco, or a parcel of beads, would purchase 
a district as large as Yorkshire ; but I hope better 
times are comincj to this miserable land. 
At half past four, P.M. we came to a fountain of 
excellent water, shaded by a beautiful clump of camel- 
thorn trees, which we named Waugh Fountain, and 
the immense plain with which it is surrounded, Pellatt 
Plain. At this fountain a Matchappee, who had been 
on a visit to a distant kraal, joined our company. He 
was a fine looking young man, clothed with tanned 
sheepskins, coloured with the red stone found at Blink- 
hill, and his skin painted with the same. Our people 
felled a tree for some necessary purpose, but had no 
man's permission to ask before they proceeded to work. 
This being the shortest day in the year, we observed 
the sun set about a quarter before five o'clock; and 
being in a plain, without visible bounds, and without 
clouds, the scene resembled sun-setting at sea. Here 
we first discovered the track of Mr. Burchels wag- 
gon, the only European now alive who ever visited 
the city of Lattakoo, where it now stands. The same 
people once lived three or four days' journey nearer 
I i 
