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。