204 Journal of Travel and Natural History 



to come and inspect the country, and study the practicability of making off 

 during the rainy season into the Bamanwato country with the whole of the cattle 

 submitted to their charge by Moselikatze. Becoming aware of this, 1 refused to 

 fly, being fearful of confirming the suspicion of the Matabale that I, too, was in 

 league with the Bamanwato, and resolved that if they came on I would meet 

 them amicably, hoping, as I still retained a smattering of the Zulu language, 

 from my residence at Natal, that I should be able to explain how matters really 

 stood. 



' ' Having saddled my horses, I left my guides of the Shua in charge of my 

 traps, and, under the guidance of some other natives, sought out the hiding- 

 place of the Makalakas, which I reached about eleven o'clock at night. Con- 

 trary to my expectations, I found them quite prepared for my arrival, and drawn 

 up in a formidable array, standing under cover of their long shields, evidently 

 with hostile intentions. Surprised at this, I felt for an instant at a loss how to 

 act, but a moment's reflection satisfied me that it would not do to exhibit any 

 symptoms of alarm, that my safety depended on the composure and firmness 

 with which I acted on this emergency. Having, therefore, ordered Molihie to 

 stand with his gun ready at full cock, I rode up undauntedly to within a few 

 paces of the dusky crew, whose appearance was doubly horrid as the bright 

 moonlight did not penetrate the deep shade of the mopani trees under which 

 they stood. At this moment, the leader of the gang sprang forward in advance 

 of his comrades in a sort of war dance, as is their wont when threatening a 

 charge, and rattling the shaft of his spear against his shield, yelling and whistling 

 shrilly the while he demanded what we wanted there at this hour of the night. 

 Springing from my horse, as did also Molihie, I was perfectly astonished at the 

 effect produced by our assumed composure, when this brave of the braves hastily 

 retreated into the ranks, evidently disappointed at the want of pluck amongst 

 his followers, who slunk one by one behind the bushes. Following up my 

 advantage, I rated them soundly in Sechuana in as loud and bold a voice as I 

 could assume, threatening to destroy the whole of them in one instant if they 

 did not instantly lay down their spears. Strange to say, with that superstitious 

 dread which these unsophisticated savages entertain of the white man, but which 

 I had never fully believed in till this day, the whole of the Makalakas laid their 

 spears on the ground, trembling with fear, while nearly all the Bushmen dis- 

 appeared in a twinkling. 



"Having brought matters to this satisfactory conclusion, I demanded my 

 ivory, which in another instant was forthcoming. After this I required eight 

 Bushmen to carry the tusks ; at first these could not be found, but, stamping 

 impatiently on the ground, I insisted on having them, when the Makalakas set 

 up a shouting, explaining that the danger of hostilities was passed, they one by 

 one emerged from their concealment ; I then demanded a bundle of dried flesh 

 by way of compensation, for the trouble they had given me, with another Bush- 

 man to carry it, and at length having cautioned the gang to take care that I did 

 not set the ground on fire under their feet, we took our departure, driving the 

 bearers of the tusks before us to our bivouac" — (vol. i., p. 254). 



The only instance which we meet witli in these vohnnes where 

 the wliites were actually put to defiance, and an attemi)t at murder 

 and robbery made, occurred among the Ovambo, an ignorant 



