AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION, 
AS TOLD BY ITS EXPLORERS. 
CHAPTER I. 
The Kalahari Desert. 
Before leaving South Africa, we may give a few 
pictures of life and sport in the so-called Kalahari 
Desert, in the region around Lake Ngami. As will 
be seen from the extracts from Mr. G. A. Farini’s 
“ Through the Kalahari Desert,” the region is not 
so barren as its designation implies. In 1885, Mr. 
Farini made a journey from the Cape across the Orange 
River to Lake Ngami, during which he met with 
various adventures. In the following narrative he 
gives some of the incidents which happened when he 
was lost in the desert. 
I had gone on about three hours, when the sun’s 
rays became too much for me, and I put down my 
burden and rested for a while. How I longed for a 
cup of water, for a sama, for anything to quench my 
thirst ! Presently I climbed a high sand-dune, hoping 
to spy some landmark, some sign by which I could 
steer myself back to the waggons. Here and there I 
fancied I could trace my previous footsteps when in 
chase of the ostriches, but the marks were almost 
obliterated, and they might be the track of some other 
person. This thought gave me some hope, for it 
might be that Lulu, Kert, and the rest were looking 
for me : I would keep as much as possible on the high 
ground, but it was hard work climbing up and down, 
and the heat of the sun was stupefying. What would 
VOL. II. B 
