disturbs the harmony of the pie they all get up and
swear at him and settle down again. One man is always
told off to watch the .fire to keep off wild beasts, and
then when morning comes they pack their belongings,
their treasures of bark, mice, and caterpillars, and
start off along the narrow path in single file at a
tremendous pace, silent for a while, and then bursting
forth into song, looking for all the world like a procession
of black caterpillars themselves.
These forests around Zimbabwe are lovely to
wander in, with feathery festoons of lichen, like a
fairy scene at a pantomime; outside the forests are
long stretches of coarse grass, towering above, our
heads in many cases, and horrible to have. to push
through, especially after a fall of rain. They were
then in seed, and looked just like our harvest
fields at home, giving a golden tinge to the whole
country.
Pine trees perched on the summit of colossal anthills
cast a pleasant shade around, and if by chance
we were near a stream we had to be careful not to
fall into game pits, deep narrow holes hidden by the
long grass, which the natives dig in the ground and
towards which they drive deer and antelope, so that
they get their forelegs fixed in them and cannot get
out.
All around Zimbabwe is far too well watered to
be pleasant; long stretches of unhealthy swamps fill
up the valleys rivers and streams are plentiful, and
the vegetation consequently rich. Owing to the
surrounding swamps we had much fever in our camp
during our two months’ stay; as we had our waggons
with us we could not camp on very high ground, and
suffered accordingly. This fever of the high veldt
with plenty of food and plenty of quinine is by no
means dangerous, only oft-recurring and very weakening.
Of the fourteen cases we had under treatment
none were really dangerously ill, and none seemed to
suffer from bad effects afterwards when the fever had
worn itself out. The real cause of so much mortality
and misery amongst the pioneer force during then-
first wet season in the country was the want of
nourishing food to give the fever patients and the
want of proper medicine.
As for the natives themselves, I cannot help saying
a few words in their favour, as it has been customary
to abuse them and set their capabilities down as
nought. During the time we were at Zimbabwe we
were constantly surrounded by them, and employed
from fifty to sixty of them for our work, and the only
thing we lost was half a bottle of whisky, which we
did not. set down to the natives, who as yet are happily
ignorant of the potency of fire-water. Doubtless on
the traversed roads and large centres, where they are
brought into contact with traders and would-be
civilisers of the race, these people become thieves and
vagabonds; but in their primitive state the Makalangas
are naturally honest, exceedingly courteous in manner,
and cowardice appears to be their only vice, arising
doubtless from the fact that for generations they have
had to flee to their fastnesses before the raids of
more powerful races. The Makalanga is above the