358 
THE NEW AFRICA 
minute dimensions, into the cart, and started off on November 
18th, along the Zouga river, walking ahead of the oncoming 
cart. Hammar, with his foot restored to health, developed a 
decided interest in the clouds of ducks inhabiting the river, and 
kept the larder well supplied by peppering away out of the 
double-choke at them with buck-shot, often dropping six or 
more at a single shot. 
The Zouga river, or Botletle, also called Setaana river by the 
natives, in that section which connects the lake to the junction 
with the Tumulakana river, was here over fifty yards broad, 
and very deep; and had a distinct current flowing towards the 
lake. The fact that this river’s course has been given to flow 
in opposite directions by travellers who have visited the lake 
at different times of the year is explained by the situation of the 
lake, which acts as a reservoir during flood seasons, when all the 
branches of the Cubango connected with it are full to excess. 
When, however, the water is retiring, it disgorges its contents 
along the Zouga bed towards the Makarikari. Influenced by 
these circumstances, the Zouga varies the course of its current 
with every alteration in the relative niveau of the streams that 
feed the lake while running through this extremely flat 
country. Below the junction of the Zouga with the Tumula¬ 
kana the current flows constantly towards the Makarikari lake. 
Twenty miles from the lake we passed a remarkable tree called 
the Mooi Boom from its beautiful appearance, and, proceeding 
on the road, we saw much lion spoor, and also passed some 
recent marks of elephants that had been drinking in the river, but 
they were too ancient to admit the possibility of a hunt. Another 
thirteen miles brought us to the second ‘letter-trees,’ which 
serve as a landmark in the country. Here it is the custom of 
travelling whites to perpetuate the fact of having passed through 
the country by cutting their names into the trees, a piece of 
frivolity we also complied with. Twenty miles further on we 
came to Makehtos village, making a total of fifty-three miles 
from the lake through incessant sand-belts overgrown with 
bush, often increasing into the magnitude of real forest along 
