had not even seen a sea-cow had to pay pretty heavily for
the misbehaviour of their Hottentot subordinates ; for in
Matabeli-land the master must pay for the shortcomings
and offences committed by his employés.”
Some time previously a few Americans had asked permission
to go through Lo-ben’s country, saying that they
did not wish to search for gold, which in truth was their
object. Watched by some of the young warriors, they were
caught flagrante delicto and brought hack before the king,
who summarily dispatched them out of his country to the
south.
I found it was by no means easy rapidly to complete an
equipment here. ‘ The time required for fitting out a
waggon and oxen would be considerable, and delay might
endanger the chance of reaching the Zambesi before the
rains set in, that was to say about October. Here Mr.
Selous assisted me greatly by offering a berth in his
waggon.
By the return coach from Pretoria I was soon hack at
Kimberley to fetch the rifles and baggage. Here also,
remembering the probability of geographical notes, I corrected
the time by telegraph from the Observatory at Cape
Town ; Kimberley being the last point for telegraphic communication.
Again I was upon the old coach bound for Klerksdorp.
Numbers of genial friends came to see me off. Once
on the road the driver, who fancied himself considerably,
started off in magnificent style, he being well primed with
“ Cape Smoke.” Looking behind I could see in the
dwindling distance the agent, who was shouting aloud and
waving his arms in a most frantic fashion. We, or he, had
evidently forgotten something. Lut the driver was deaf ;
and even to my attentive ears the shouts soon died away as
EQUIPPING FOR THE VELDT. 21
we whirled swiftly over the swelling ground, the reports of
our Jehu’s whip ringing out like the sound of a live bunch
of crackers.
Inside the coach a strong distillery-like odour pervaded
the atmosphere, so that there seemed to be a danger that
one might become tipsy without tasting. Of course we had
with us the ubiquitous passenger who tabes his seat with
the self-satisfied assurance that he has paid his fare, and
that he has rights which must in no case be interfered with,
and therefore he resolutely smokes and drinks, while he
fights for the coveted half-inch of room which the restlessi
ness of his troublesome elbow incites him to dispute. How
frequently do these eternal nuisances destroy the comfort
of the sober passenger who has fewer wants, and who begins,
to think what an extraordinarily constituted beast man is,
and how wonderfully well he is adapted to doing many
things at a time!
On arriving at Klerksdorp a few days had to be occupied
by loading the waggons with provisions and other necessities,
such as cloth, beads, and so forth, for the purpose of
exchange.
Then we were ready for the start. We had sixteen oxen
yoked to each waggon, about fifty sheep, dogs, “ salted ”
horses,* cows and calves. Our human supporters comprised
a few black savages of different types. Among the
others was a Mashona boy whom Selous had brought from
his distant mountain home, and who was destined to take
a prominent place in the course of my future travels. This
boy, named Karemba, led the oxen of one of the waggons,
he being adorned with a Boer hat and a coloured shirt, the
only evidences of civilisation he could boast of, for poor
* “ Salted ” horses are those which have passed through the sickness
which is so prevalent north of the Yaal river.