kraal at night, and was glad when I once more reached the
sources of the Tati river. In three days more I arrived
at the Monarch Mine. I have since heard that Lo Bengula
was very wroth at my having visited this part of his states
without his leave, and my unfortunate guide was seized
by Umsuazi, sent to -Lo Ben, and put to death.
I spent some time at Monarch in order to get my
waggon repaired, as I had upset it in a dry river and con-
UPSET IN A D R IFT .
siderably damaged it I also developed my photographs,
and then, taking leave of my kind friends, I trekked
towards Palapshwe. My intention was to go back to
Cape Town by the Transvaal, but when I reached
Palapshwe I found some officers who had just returned
from Mashonaland.
They were full of enthusiasm about the Zimbabwe
ruins, and strongly urged me to go and visit them. This
merely meant a detour of three weeks, and I therefore
decided to proceed once more northwards. > Before leaving
I had to part with my headman Major. As I have
182
described above, a snake spat in his eye at Linokani six
months before. He had appeared all right since then,
but while we were at Monarch the eye got inflamed, and
the doctor found that a false membrane had formed. He
advised Major to go and be operated upon at Kimberley,
and even so he feared that the poor fellow would have to
get his eye altogether removed.