SOUTHERN AFRICA. 301 
our party killed four in one day. They were all very lean, a 
circumftance that was attributed to the locufts having devoured 
every green plant for a confiderable diftance from the banks of 
the river. A young one was taken out of the womb of a 
female, perfedly formed in every part except the teeth and 
tufks. Though now only feven inches long, the fame animal, 
if not deftroyed, would, in the courfe of time, moft probably 
have attained the enormous weight of three or four thoufand 
pounds. 
Near the end of the laft day's journey, along the banks of the 
river, was a wood of tall mimofas. The branches of thefe were 
loaded with many thoufands of the nefts of the locuft-eating 
thrufh ; and, not far from the fame place, we crofled the only 
troop of young locufts that had occurred in the vicinity of the 
river, the herbage, as was above noticed, being there already 
confumed. This troop covered a plot of ground at leaft a 
hundred yards in width and five miles in length. Its march 
was directed towards the river, which it intended to crofs. 
Clofe to the water's edge thefe creatures were heaped together 
in clumps of five or fix inches deep. Myriads had already en- 
tered the water, and were carried down the ftream. 
On the fifth of December we left the river, and, turning off 
to the fouthward, travelled over a flat country of a ftrong clayey 
foil, well covered with fine grafs, but deftitute of wood or 
bufties, and ill fupplied with water. Springs here and there 
occurred ; and thefe were eafily difcovered by the patches of 
tall reeds that furrounded them. Elands and gnoos, hares and 
partridges^ 
