Reeds and grass are laid across the top; above this the sand is thrown, and watered so as to appear exactly like the rest of the spot.

Some of our party plumped into these pitfalls more than once, even when in search of them, in order to open them to prevent the loss of our cattle.

If an ox sees a hole, he carefully avoids it; and old elephants have been known to precede the herd and whisk off the coverings of the pitfalls on each side all the way down to the water.

We have known instances in which the old among these sagacious animals have actually lifted the young out of the trap.
The trees which adorn the banks are magnificent.

Two enormous baobabs ('Adansonia digitata'), or mowanas, grow near its confluence with the lake where we took the observations for the latitude (20d 20' S.).