to these places of shelter there were the photographic
dark tent, five feet six square, the kitchen, and the
MRS. THEODORE BENT
white men’s sleeping-room, cleverly constructed out
of the sails of our waggons, with walls of grass. In
the centre was an erection for our cocks and hens,
but even from here the jackals occasionally contrived
to steal one or two. Around the whole camp ran a
skerm, or hedge, of grass, which latter adjunct gave
a comfortable and concentrated feeling to it all.
Outside our circle the native workmen erected for
themselves three or four huts, into which they all
huddled at night like so many sardines in a tin.
Around us in every direction grew the tall, wavy
grass of the veldt, rapidly approaching the time when
it can be burnt. This time was one of imminent
peril for our camp ; the flames, lashed to fury by the
wind, approached within a few yards of us. Men
with branches rushed hither and thither, beating the
advancing enemy with all their might ; our grass
hedge was rapidly pulled down, and we trembled for
the safety of our Indian terrace. Suddenly a spark
caught the huts of the natives, and in a few moments
they were reduced to ashes, and the poor shivering
occupants had to spend the night in a cave in the
rocks behind. Luckily the strenuous efforts of our
men were successful in keeping the flames from our
camp, and we were thankful when this business was
over. Instead of the tall, wavy grass, reeking with
moisture when it rained and rotting in the heat of
the sun, we had now around us a black sea of ashes, recalling
the appearance of the vicinity of a coal mine ;
but though less picturesque it was far more healthy,
and during the last weeks of our stay at Zimbabwe
the attacks of fever were less frequent and less severe.
From Fort Victoria came over during our stay a
whole host of visitors to see how we were fretting- on o o