A village of Bakurutse lay on the opposite
bank; these live among Batletli, 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.
Oswell, 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
fishing-weir. The people were friendly, and informed us that this water
came out of the Ngami. This 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.
When we had gone up the bank of this beautiful river about ninety-six
miles from the point where we first struck it, and understood that we
were still a considerable distance from the Ngami, we left all the oxen
and wagons, except Mr. Oswell's, which was the smallest, and one team,
at Ngabisane, in the hope that they would be recruited for the home
journey, while we made a push for the lake.
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