190 EFFECTS OF A HAIL-STORM. [1820. 
beauty of the whole scene. As we proceeded, we 
observed some fresh foot-marks of the rhinoceros, 
and also saw a kraal of Bootshuana Bushmen, con- 
taining forty houses, which, allowing five indivi- 
duals to each house, would contain two hundred 
inhabitants. There were only some old women 
at home, the rest being engaged in a hunting- 
expedition. 
Till we had advanced within a mile of the end 
of the forest, the trees were decked with leaves, 
but suddenly every thing wore the appearance 
of winter. The trees were without leaves, the 
branches stripped of their bark, and the grass 
withered. At first we concluded this devastation 
must have been owing to the ravages of the locust, 
but we afterwards learned it had been occasioned 
by a tremendous shower of hail-stones. As far 
as we could see to the eastward and westward, 
the country appeared in the same naked condition. 
On clearing the wood, we entered upon an 
open country, destitute of trees, and almost 
without bushes ; but owing to the inequality of 
the ground, our prospect was very limited. At 
three p. m. we crossed a small river, called Ma- 
retsawney, which ran to the N. W. The bed was 
broad, the bottom hollow, and covered with tall 
grass and rushes, concealing a considerable quan- 
tity of good water. We halted on the farther 
