Afterbreakfast，someofthemen，whohadgoneforwardonalittlepathwithsomefootprintsofwater-lovinganimalsuponit，returnedwiththejoyfultidingsof“metse“，water，exhibitingthemudontheirkneesinconfirmationofthenewsbeingtrueItdoesone’sheartgoodtoseethethirstyoxenrushintoapoolofdeliciousrain-water，asthiswasIntheydashuntilthewaterisdeepenoughtobenearlylevelwiththeirthroat，andthentheystanddrawingslowlyinthelong，refreshingmouthfuls，untiltheirformerlycollapsedsidesdistendasiftheywouldburstSomuchdotheyimbibe，thatasuddenjerk，whentheycomeoutonthebank，makessomeofthewaterrunoutagainfromtheirmouths；but，astheyhavebeendayswithoutfoodtoo，theyverysooncommencetograze，andofgrassthereisalwaysabundanceeverywhereThispoolwascalledMathuluani；
　　andthankfulweweretohaveobtainedsowelcomeasupplyofwater。
　　Aftergivingthecattlearestatthisspot，weproceededdownthedrybedoftheRiverMokokoThenamereferstothewater-bearingstratumbeforealludedto；andinthisancientbeditbearsenoughofwatertoadmitofpermanentwellsinseveralpartsofitWehadnowtheassurancefromRamotobithatweshouldsuffernomorefromthirst。
　　Twicewefoundrain-waterintheMokokobeforewereachedMokokonyani，wherethewater，generallybelowgroundelsewhere，comestothesurfaceinabedoftufaTheadjacentcountryisallcoveredwithlow，thornyscrub，withgrass，andhereandthereclumpsofthe“wait-a-bitthorn“，or`Acaciadetinens’AtLotlakanialittlereed，anotherspringthreemilesfartherdown，wemetwiththefirstPalmyratreeswhichwehadseeninSouthAfrica；theyweretwenty-sixinnumber。
　　TheancientMokokomusthavebeenjoinedbyotherriversbelowthis，foritbecomesverybroad，andspreadsoutintoalargelake，ofwhichthelakewewerenowinsearchofformedbutaverysmallpart。
　　Weobservedthat，whereveranant-eaterhadmadehishole，shellswerethrownoutwiththeearth，identicalwiththosenowaliveinthelake。
　　WhenwelefttheMokoko，Ramotobiseemed，forthefirsttime，tobeatalossastowhichdirectiontotakeHehadpassedonlyonceawaytothewestoftheMokoko，thescenesofhisboyhoodMrOswell，whileridinginfrontofthewagons，happenedtospyaBushwomanrunningawayinabentposition，inordertoescapeobservationThinkingittobealion，hegallopeduptoherShethoughtherselfcaptured，andbegantodeliverupherpoorlittleproperty，consistingofafewtrapsmadeofcords；
　　but，whenIexplainedthatweonlywantedwater，andwouldpayherifsheledustoit，sheconsentedtoconductustoaspring。
　　Itwasthenlateintheafternoon，butshewalkedbrisklybeforeourhorsesforeightmiles，andshowedusthewaterofNchokotsa。
　　Afterleadingustothewater，shewishedtogoawayhome，ifindeedshehadanyshehadfledfromapartyofhercountrymen，andwasnowlivingfarfromallotherswithherhusband
　　butasitwasnowdark，wewishedhertoremainAsshebelievedherselfstillacaptive，wethoughtshemightslipawaybynight；so，inorderthatsheshouldnotgoawaywiththeimpressionthatweweredishonest，wegaveherapieceofmeatandagoodlargebunchofbeads；
　　atthesightofthelattersheburstintoamerrylaugh，andremainedwithoutsuspicion。
　　AtNchokotsawecameuponthefirstofagreatnumberofsalt-pans，coveredwithanefflorescenceoflime，probablythenitrate。
　　Athickbeltofmopane-treesa`Bauhinia’hidesthissalt-pan，whichistwentymilesincircumference，entirelyfromtheviewofapersoncomingfromthesoutheast；and，atthetimethepanburstuponourview，thesettingsunwascastingabeautifulbluehazeoverthewhiteincrustations，makingthewholelookexactlylikealake。
　　Oswellthrewhishatupintheairatthesight，andshoutedoutahuzzawhichmadethepoorBushwomanandtheBakwainsthinkhimmad。
　　Iwasalittlebehindhim，andwasascompletelydeceivedbyitashe；
　　but，aswehadagreedtoalloweachothertobeholdthelakeatthesameinstant，Ifeltalittlechagrinedthathehad，unintentionally，gotthefirstglanceWehadnoideathatthelong-looked-forlakewasstillmorethanthreehundredmilesdistantOnereasonofourmistakewas，thattheRiverZougawasoftenspokenofbythesamenameasthelake，viz。，NokaeaBatletli“RiveroftheBatletli“。
　　ThemirageonthesesalinaswasmarvelousItisnever，Ibelieve，seeninperfection，exceptoversuchsalineincrustations。
　　Herenotaparticleofimaginationwasnecessaryforrealizingtheexactpictureoflargecollectionsofwater；thewavesdancedalongabove，andtheshadowsofthetreeswerevividlyreflectedbeneaththesurfaceinsuchanadmirablemanner，thattheloosecattle，whosethirsthadnotbeenslakedsufficientlybytheverybrackishwaterofNchokotsa，withthehorses，dogs，andeventheHottentotsranofftowardthedeceitfulpoolsAherdofzebrasinthemiragelookedsoexactlylikeelephantsthatOswellbegantosaddleahorseinordertohuntthem；butasortofbreakinthehazedispelledtheillusionLookingtothewestandnorthwestfromNchokotsa，wecouldseecolumnsofblacksmoke，exactlylikethosefromasteam-engine，risingtotheclouds，andwereassuredthatthesearosefromtheburningreedsoftheNokaeaBatletli。
　　Onthe4thofJulywewentforwardonhorsebacktowardwhatwesupposedtobethelake，andagainandagaindidweseemtoseeit；
　　butatlastwecametotheveritablewateroftheZouga，andfoundittobeariverrunningtotheN。EAvillageofBakurutselayontheoppositebank；theseliveamongBatletli，atribehavingaclickintheirlanguage，andwhowerefoundbySebituanetopossesslargeherdsofthegreathornedcattleTheyseemalliedtotheHottentotfamilyMrOswell，intryingtocrosstheriver，gothishorseboggedintheswampybankTwoBakwainsandImanagedtogetoverbywadingbesideafishing-weirThepeoplewerefriendly，andinformedusthatthiswatercameoutoftheNgamiThisnewsgladdenedallourhearts，forwenowfeltcertainofreachingourgoalWemight，theysaid，beamoonontheway；butwehadtheRiverZougaatourfeet，andbyfollowingitweshouldatlastreachthebroadwater。
　　Nextday，whenwewerequitedisposedtobefriendlywitheveryone，twooftheBamangwato，whohadbeensentonbeforeusbySekomitodriveawayalltheBushmenandBakalaharifromourpath，sothattheyshouldnotassistorguideus，cameandsatdownbyourfire。
　　Wehadseentheirfootstepsfreshintheway，andtheyhadwatchedourslowmovementsforward，andwonderedtoseehowwe，withoutanyBushmen，foundourwaytothewatersThiswasthefirsttimetheyhadseenRamotobi。
　　“Youhavereachedtherivernow。”saidthey；andwe，quitedisposedtolaughathavingwonthegame，feltnoill-willtoanyoneTheyseemedtofeelnoenmitytouseither；but，afteranapparentlyfriendlyconversation，proceededtofulfilltothelasttheinstructionsoftheirchief。
　　AscendingtheZougainourfront，theycirculatedthereportthatourobjectwastoplunderallthetribeslivingontheriverandlake；
　　butwhentheyhadgothalfwayuptheriver，theprincipalmansickenedoffever，turnedbacksomedistance，anddied。
　　Hisdeathhadagoodeffect，forthevillagersconnecteditwiththeinjuryhewasattemptingtodotousTheyallsawthroughSekomi’sreasonsforwishingustofailinourattempt；andthoughtheycametousatfirstarmed，kindandfairtreatmentsoonproducedperfectconfidence。
　　Whenwehadgoneupthebankofthisbeautifulriveraboutninety-sixmilesfromthepointwherewefirststruckit，andunderstoodthatwewerestillaconsiderabledistancefromtheNgami，weleftalltheoxenandwagons，exceptMrOswell’s，whichwasthesmallest，andoneteam，atNgabisane，inthehopethattheywouldberecruitedforthehomejourney，whilewemadeapushforthelakeTheBechuanachiefoftheLakeregion，whohadsentmentoSechele，nowsentorderstoallthepeopleontherivertoassistus，andwewerereceivedbytheBakoba，whoselanguageclearlyshowsthattheybearanaffinitytothetribesinthenorth。
　　TheycallthemselvesBayeiye，i。e。，men；buttheBechuanascallthemBakoba，whichcontainssomewhatoftheideaofslavesTheyhaveneverbeenknowntofight，and，indeed，haveatraditionthattheirforefathers，intheirfirstessaysatwar，madetheirbowsofthePalmaChristi，and，whenthesebroke，theygaveupfightingaltogether。
　　Theyhaveinvariablysubmittedtotheruleofeveryhordewhichhasoverrunthecountriesadjacenttotheriversonwhichtheyspeciallylovetodwell。
　　TheyarethustheQuakersofthebodypoliticinAfrica。
　　Alongtimeaftertheperiodofourvisit，thechiefoftheLake，thinkingtomakesoldiersofthem，tookthetroubletofurnishthemwithshields“Ah！weneverhadthesebefore；thatisthereasonwehavealwayssuccumbedNowwewillfight。”ButamaraudingpartycamefromtheMakololo，andour“Friends“atoncepaddledquickly，nightandday，downtheZouga，neverdaringtolookbehindthemtilltheyreachedtheendoftheriver，atthepointwherewefirstsawit。
　　Thecanoesoftheseinlandsailorsaretrulyprimitivecraft：
　　theyarehollowedoutofthetrunksofsingletreesbymeansofironadzes；
　　andifthetreehasabend，sohasthecanoeIlikedthefrankandmanlybearingofthesemen，and，insteadofsittinginthewagon，preferredaseatinoneofthecanoesIfoundtheyregardedtheirrudevesselsastheArabdoeshiscamelTheyhavealwaysfiresinthem，andprefersleepinginthemwhileonajourneytospendingthenightonshore。
　　“Onlandyouhavelions。”saythey，“serpents，hyaenas，andyourenemies；
　　butinyourcanoe，behindabankofreed，nothingcanharmyou。”
　　TheirsubmissivedispositionleadstotheirvillagesbeingfrequentlyvisitedbyhungrystrangersWehadapotonthefireinthecanoebytheway，andwhenwedrewnearthevillagesdevouredthecontents。
　　Whenfullysatisfiedourselves，Ifoundwecouldalllookuponanyintruderswithperfectcomplacency，andshowthepotinproofofhavingdevouredthelastmorsel。
　　Whileascendinginthiswaythebeautifully-woodedriver，wecametoalargestreamflowingintoitThiswastheRiverTamunak’le。
　　Iinquiredwhenceitcame“Oh，fromacountryfullofrivers
　　somanynoonecantelltheirnumberandfulloflargetrees。”
　　ThiswasthefirstconfirmationofstatementsIhadheardfromtheBakwainswhohadbeenwithSebituane，thatthecountrybeyondwasnot“thelargesandyplateau“ofthephilosophers。
　　Theprospectofahighwaycapableofbeingtraversedbyboatstoanentirelyunexploredandverypopulousregion，grewfromthattimeforwardstrongerandstrongerinmymind；
　　somuchsothat，whenweactuallycametothelake，thisideaoccupiedsuchalargeportionofmymentalvisionthattheactualdiscoveryseemedofbutlittleimportanceIfindIwrote，whentheemotionscausedbythemagnificentprospectsofthenewcountrywerefirstawakenedinmybreast，thatthey“mightsubjectmetothechargeofenthusiasm，achargewhichIwishedIdeserved，asnothinggoodorgreathadeverbeenaccomplishedintheworldwithoutit。”*
　　*LetterspublishedbytheRoyalGeographicalSociety。
　　Read11thFebruaryand8thApril，1850。