country brings a new intercourse with unspoiled Nature,
new adventures, and new knowledge, all giving ample and
important subjects for steady reflection in times present and
times to come. In the condition of life which men call
civilisation it is indispensable that the mind should be
regularly occupied. That strangely inexplicable soul-
yearning which is inherent in every man’s nature should
never cease to urge us on to the accomplishment of the
purposes of life, and to the acquisition of a knowledge of
its circumstances.
In this way, as years roll by, one’s little pile of knowledge
will be ever increasing. We may not aspire to reach
the higher rungs of the shining and slippery ladder of
fame, but our accumulation of knowledge will be sure to
comfort us at some depressed period of our lives: it may
also perch us a step or two upwards with a secure footing.
“ The mind of man in a long life will become a magazine of
wisdom or folly, and will consequently discharge itself in
something impertinent or improving.”
But what am I thinking about! By this time the sun is
high over the little kopjie at the back of the. camp and we
must be off. John sits motionless beside the fire.
“ What’s the matter now, John ?”
“ Ah, master, I never see people like here! They want
to take all de tings. My G aut! my Gaut! Limbo and
beads, limbo and beads, limbo and beads, everee day all de
same! What shall us do ?”
I will not weary my readers with details as to how we
settled such difficulties. The story would be far too long.
Amidst all our annoyances even the administrative power
of a Napoleon would have been frustrated. I began to
think what such a man would have done under the circumstances;
but soon came to the conclusion that he would
never have placed himself in such a weak position, so again
I turned round to face the facts, the too palpable too hard
facts.
The sun near meridian, and not a soul moving! On
every hand I have to accede to loud and incessant craving,
so that limbo (calico) and red white-eyed beads are distributed
all round.
Some Mashona who had been driven from their homes
during the latest raid of the Matabeli came to see us.
They said that there were some ostriches on the plain
beyond, and they brought numbers of the prettily-striped
skins of the little ground squirrels. Much as I would have
liked to have bagged some ostriches I could not suffer the
delay, so after the usual pangs had harassed my temper in
the endeavour to effect a move, we were again tramping
northwards over the bare earth, which was parched and
smooth through the grass being burnt.
We held on the same course during the following days.
The nights were spent in uproar caused by the singing,
dancing, and wild.gorging of meat which I have previously
described. These evening entertainments became so familiar,
that they hardly disturbed me, and I think I could now
sleep serenely amidst any surroundings, even amidst the
fervour of an “ Irish n ig h t” in Parliament. That is to
say if I was not troubled in mind.
At that time there was enough to trouble the.mind.
The Unyamwenda men were an ever increasing source of
anxiety and bother. They were then trying all they could
to frighten the six Chibero men, who, up to the present,
had done tolerably well, but were now becoming nearly as
bad as the others.
The course carried us through vast undulating plains,
broken by bald hills, and very sparsely dotted with solitary