208 ARRIVAL AT THE MOLOPO. [1820. 
2nd. Many lions were heard prowling around 
the waggons during the night ; we departed at 
sunrise, half-past six a.m. There was a thick 
fog, which the rays of the sun caused to appear 
like the falling of extremely small rain. The grass 
was loaded with dew. We expected to break- 
fast on the banks of the Molopo River ; but it is 
difficult to ascertain distance, when described 
by people who never heard of miles, hours, or 
minutes. Our direction lay due east; the soil was 
black ; trees were thinly scattered over the grassy 
plain, and some of the grass was three and four 
feet high. At nine a. m. we reached the Molopo 
River, the last point from whence any intelligence 
ever came from Cowen, Donovan, and the sol- 
diers of the Cape regiment, who crossed it four- 
teen years before. It was about ten yards wide, 
and in some parts two feet deep ; the bottom 
was stony, but the water clear and well tasted. 
No trees grew on either side nearer than five 
hundred yards, but reeds were in great abun- 
dance. The natives said the source was but a 
little higher up, and its course due west. We 
halted on the northern bank, and were highly 
gratified with the water. This river has not yet 
found its way into the maps of geographers. 
I observed the pack-oxen of the Marootzee 
were loaded with the undressed skins of animals. 
