Chap. III. 
BANKS OF THE ZOUGA — PITFALLS. 
69 
accompanied us, was then purchasing ivory at the rate of ten 
good large tusks for a musket worth thirteen shillings. They 
were called bones,” and I myself saw eight instances in which 
the tusks had been left to rot with the other bones where the 
elephant fell. The Batauana never had a chance of a market 
before; but in less than two years after our discovery, not a man 
of them could be found who was not keenly alive to the great 
value of the article. 
On the day after our arrival at the lake, I applied to Lechu- 
latebe for guides to Sebituane. As he was much afraid of that 
chief, he objected, fearing lest other white men should go thither 
also, and give Sebituane guns; whereas, if the traders came to 
him alone, the possession of firearms would give him such a supe¬ 
riority, that Sebituane would be afraid of him. It was in vain to 
explain that I would inculcate peace between them^—that Sebi¬ 
tuane had been a father to him and Sechele, and was as anxious 
to see me as he, Lechulatebe, had been. He offered to give me 
as much ivory as I needed v/ithout going to that chief. But 
when I refused to take any, he unwillingly consented to give me 
guides. Next day, however, when OsweU and I were prepared 
to start, with the horses only, we received a senseless refusal; 
and Hke Sekomi, who had thrown obstacles in our way, he sent 
men to the Bayeiye with orders to refuse us a passage across the 
river. Trying hard to form a raft at a narrow part, I worked 
many hours in the water, but the dry wood was so wormeaten it 
would not bear the weight of a single person. I was not then 
aware of the number of alligators which exist in the Zouga, and 
never think of my labour in the water vdthout feehng thankful 
that I escaped their jaws. The season was now far advanced; 
and as Mr. OsweU, with his wonted generous feelings, volun¬ 
teered on the spot to go down to the Cape and bring up a boat, 
we resolved to make our way south again. 
Coming down the Zouga we had now time to look at its banks. 
These are very beautiful, resembling closely many parts of the 
river Clyde above Glasgow. The formation is soft calcareous 
tufa, such as forms the bottom of aU this basin. The banks are 
perpendicular on the side to which the water swings, and sloping 
and grassy on the other. The slopes are selected for the pitfaUs 
designed by the Bayeiye to entrap the animals as they come to 
