CHAPTER 5.
Start in June, 1852, on the last and longest Journey from Cape Town-- Companions--Wagon-traveling--Physical Divisions of Africa--The Eastern, Central, and Western Zones--The Kalahari Desert--Its Vegetation--Increasing Value of the Interior for Colonization-- Our Route--Dutch Boers--Their Habits--Sterile Appearance of the District--Failure of Grass--Succeeded by other Plants-- Vines--Animals--The Boers as Farmers--Migration of Springbucks-- Wariness of Animals--The Orange River--Territory of the Griquas and Bechuanas--The Griquas--The Chief Waterboer--His wise and energetic Government--His Fidelity--Ill-considered Measures of the Colonial Government in regard to Supplies of Gunpowder--Success of the Missionaries among the Griquas and Bechuanas--Manifest Improvement of the native Character--Dress of the Natives--A full-dress Costume--A Native's Description of the Natives--Articles of Commerce in the Country of the Bechuanas--Their Unwillingness to learn, and Readiness to criticise.
Having sent my family home to England, I started in the beginning of June, 1852, on my last journey from Cape Town.

This journey extended from the southern extremity of the continent to St.Paul de Loando, the capital of Angola, on the west coast, and thence across South Central Africa in an oblique direction to Kilimane (Quilimane) in Eastern Africa.

I proceeded in the usual conveyance of the country, the heavy, lumbering Cape wagon drawn by ten oxen, and was accompanied by two Christian Bechuanas from Kuruman--than whom I never saw better servants any where--by two Bakwain men, and two young girls, who, having come as nurses with our children to the Cape, were returning to their home at Kolobeng.

Wagon-traveling in Africa has been so often described that I need say no more than that it is a prolonged system of picnicking, excellent for the health, and agreeable to those who are not over-fastidious about trifles, and who delight in being in the open air.
Our route to the north lay near the centre of the cone-shaped mass of land which constitutes the promontory of the Cape.

If we suppose this cone to be divided into three zones or longitudinal bands, we find each presenting distinct peculiarities of climate, physical appearance and population.