Chap. III. 
THE ZOUGA. 
G3 
tots, ran off towards the deceitful pools. A herd of zebras in the 
mirage looked so exactly hke elephants, that Oswell began to 
saddle a horse in order to hunt them; but a sort of break in the 
haze dispelled the illusion. Looking to the west and north-west 
from Nchokotsa, we could see columns of black smoke, exactly 
like those from a steam-engine, rising to the clouds, and were 
assured that these arose from the burning reeds of the Noka ea 
Batletli. 
On the 4th of July we went forward on horseback towards what 
we supposed to be the lake, and again and again did we seem to 
see it; but at last we came to the veritable water of the Zouga, 
and found it to be a river running to the N.E. A village of 
Bakurutse lay on the opposite bank; these live among Batleth, 
a tribe having a click in their language, and who were found by 
Sebituane to possess large herds of the great horned cattle. They 
seem allied to the Hottentot family. Mr. OsweU, in trying to 
cross the river, got his horse bogged in the swampy bank. Two 
Bakwains and I managed to get over by wading beside a fisliing- 
weir. The people were friendly, and informed us that this water 
came out of the Hgami. Tliis news gladdened all our hearts, for 
we now felt certain of reaching our goal. We might, they said, 
be a moon on the way; but we had the river Zouga at our feet, 
and by following it we should at last reach the broad water. 
Next day, when we were quite disposed to be friendly with 
every one, two of the Bamangwato, who had been sent on before 
us by Sekomi to drive away aU the Bushmen and Bakalahari from 
our path, so that they should not assist or guide us, came and sat 
down by our fire. We had seen their footsteps fresh in the way, 
and they had watched our slow movements forward, and wondered 
to see how we, without any Bushmen, found our way to the waters. 
This was the first time they had seen Eamotobi. ‘‘ You have 
reached the river now,” said they; and we, quite disposed to 
laugh at havuig won the game, felt no ill-wiU to any one. They 
seemed to feel no enmity to us either; but after an apparently 
friendly conversation proceeded to fulfil to the last the instructions 
of their cliief. Ascending the Zouga in our front, they circulated 
the report that our object was to plunder all the tribes hving on 
the river and lake; but when they had got half way up the river, 
the principal man sickened of fever, turned back some distance. 
