SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
339 
The mission had determined to proceed north- 
wards, in order to visit the Barroloos, a tribe of 
whom they had learned some particulars. The 
king of Leetakoo, however, drew such an unfavour- 
able and alarming picture of that nation, that they 
were deterred from advancing. But, on their return 
homewards from Leetakoo, they met a Hottentot who 
had been in the country of the Barroloos, and as- 
sured them that they were a milder, more civilized, 
and courteous people, than the Boshuanas ; that 
their cities were larger, their houses better built, and 
their fields more highly cultivated, and that their 
capital was only ten days' journey distant from 
Leetakoo. The king of the Boshuanas appeared, 
therefore, to have been swayed by the jealousy 
usual among neighbouring states ; though, from 
subsequent accounts, it appears doubtful if his re* 
port was so wholly unfounded as was at one time 
supposed. 
Soon after the report of Messrs Trutter and 
Sommerville was received at the Cape, the govern* 
ment of the colony felt a laudable desire to follow 
out this interesting train of discovery. Lord Cale* 
don, therefore, fitted out an expedition of twenty 
persons, whom he sent under the command of Dr 
Cowan and Lieut. Donovan, with instructions to 
cross the African continent as far as the Portu* 
guese settlements of Mosambique or Sofala. They, 
