during my stay on the Zambezi. I had only reserved
a dozen for the Victoria Falls. My medicines consisted
of half an ounce of quinine, and, if I add to this my
photographic apparatus and m y ' photographic tent, I
shall have given a full description of my paraphernalia.
N o ; I must not forget to mention two blankets and a
macintosh sheet that I used as my bedding.
Under the circumstances I considered it imperative to
make an early start before fever knocked me up
altogether. I had hoped when I arrived at Shesheke to
ascend the river to Lialui, the capital of the Barotse
nation. But for this it was necessary to get permission
from Lewanika. I sent a message to ask for it, but though
I waited and waited it never came.
The first question to be considered was that of porters.
A good many natives constantly leave for the south
in order to go and work in the gold and diamond mines.
A dozen or so join together, and they are usually glad
to escort a white man. However, when I tried to get
some I found the greatest difficulty. In several instances,
natives, emboldened by the meekness of the missionaries
who had allowed themselves to be robbed and half
murdered by their flock, thought that they would stand
a splendid chance of doing the same with a solitary
traveller in a solitary hut, with only a boy of twelve
as a companion. Several times they tried their hand
with me. I endeavoured to impress upon their minds
that I was not a missionary, and that I should allow no
natives to come and rob me, and, further, that any man
who should either threaten me or lift up sticks or assegais
over my head would soon find himself a corpse. Judging
these threats to be empty ones, one fellow broke out one
night into my hut and only escaped after getting a sound
thrashing. But he was determined to have his revenge,
so that the next night he came to my place, and, setting
a huge stone through the opening that served as window,
dropped it on the structure I used as a bed. Fortunately
for me I happened to be out just at the time, and thus
escaped being crushed, as the stone weighed some 60 lbs.
Having my revolver at hand, I fired two shots on the
author of this practical joke. The missionaries, terrified
at my doings, were daily predicting that I would get
them and myself butchered. They had long talks on
the subject with their people, and. thus got me the
reputation of being a bad, cruel man, and the natives
christened me “ Ra-di-Tao” (the father of the lions). So
that, when I wanted men, all were afraid to come with
me. At last I managed to get together eighteen fellow's.
Remained to get food for five days, until I reached the
Victoria Falls, where I.hoped to get more. But while
before this villagers constantly came to offer me food,
now that I wanted some, none came forward. I sent
a boy to try and get some, but he could only find
about twenty pounds of mealies and twenty pounds of
monkey nuts; but to purchase these I had not enough
calico. I therefore went to M. Jalla and asked him
to let me purchase from him a piece of thirty yards. He
pleaded that he was short of goods, and would only let
me have fifteen yards of damaged cloth. He also gave
me about five pounds of mealie meal for my own use.
On the 6th of December, just as I was going to start,
boats from the King came to fetch me, and a most kind
letter from M. Coillard, the French missionary at Lialui,
was handed over to me. He invited me to share his
hospitality, and offered to supply me with whatever
trading goods I might require. This was most tempting;
unfortunately, having no news from Major, who was
alone with my waggon at Linokani, right in the middle
of the Kalahari Desert, I dared not leave him alone any
longer, and I reluctantly had to give up an excursion
that would have entailed three months’ more travelling.
Therefore, on the 8th of December, I bade goodbye
to M. and Madame Jalla, and I crossed the
Zambezi en route for the Victoria Falls. Two ways lead