the few things to be left under their care, and seeing a
skerm hastily completed, in the centre of which the few
dejected-looking creatures were huddled.
Then we started off. The pathway which we followed
was very narrow but clear. I led the way.
Excepting a few pounds of rice, which Misiri had stuffed
into the cook box, a wonderful receptacle of confusion, we
had no provisions left, but we moved along at a good brisk
rate. When the stomach depends upon activity, lassitude
is soon displaced by energy even among the Kaffirs. In
this particular, it appears, human nature is alike all the
world over.
Our way took us out of the small forest which fringed
the river’s banks. As we stepped out a new freshness
seemed to invigorate us. The view opened out on all sides
showing a vast wilderness; for now we had climbed the
heights and reached the great plateau of Angoni land.
Much cooler weather prevailed. Recent rams had vitalised
the young and succulent grasses which clothed
th e stretching prairie with a verdure of varying tints of
blending shades. Ear away to the north-east, in the horizon,
could be seen various stony peaks rising up to salute the
sunlight.
Eive miles, a rough guess, to the north were two low
hills On reaching the nearer of the two we surprised a
herd of buffalo, which dashed off at headlong speed, sweeping
round in a remarkable curve, until they struck a sma
■clump of young machabele forest, in which their living
mass of black was soon lost to view.
I t is wonderful what a sense of exhilaration is raised by
a sight of this description, all the better if it is unexpected.
You are assured that game exists, and that so long as the
ammunition lasts you cannot starve. Ascending a gentle
rise in the undulations of the plains, we carefully scanned
the landscape for beacons in the shape of the tops of village
huts.'
The light of day was fading, so we pressed onward with
unflagging energy. As the sun declined our hopes of
reaching the town fell also. I had caused a serious delay
by attempting to bag a buffalo; but the brute had seen me,
and was too keenly on the alert through the start we had
given him. The scantiness of the cover for stalking was a
great drawback, for I could not approach near enough to
get a good shot.
The shades of night descended, and disappointment was
the destiny of the day, our unavailing march seeming to
be mocked by the ruddy globe of fire, which bathed with
blood-red light the waste of undulating hill and vale.
Cheerless, indeed, was the evening ; for without food the
black man is silent. Long ere the new morning broke
we were again up and away, and soon after following the
winding pathway, trending a gentle slope, we viewed with
gladdened eyes numerous tops of huts.
There was the town! Now we would soon see what sort
of reception the Angoni would give us. Brimful of curiosity
I walked on, and soon found myself close to the outskirts of
a town environed by fields of harvested maize. That the
people had heard of the coming man was evident from
the large crowds assembled outside. Anxiety had made
me quite forget my party, and I had walked on wholly
unconscious of. the fact that Ihey were in no hurry to
proceed. Now I was compelled to await their arrival before
we entered the town.
The whole population turned out en masse—with dogs
and children in swarms—to take the measure of the
intruders. We all seated ourselves under a baobab tree,