14 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



and the insides of our lips and nostrils ; our eyes, 

 too, were badly burnt, and one of mine, indeed, did 

 not get well tor a considerable time. Sadlier, who 

 had been through the American war, and there learnt 

 some things useful in such an emergency, at once 

 rubbed a mixture of oil and salt into our skinless 

 faces ; it was not a pleasant process, but I have no 

 doubt it did what he said it would do, i.e. prevent 

 the powder from leaving any mark, as it so often 

 does. Upon reaching Secheli's we were very kindly 

 treated by one and all the traders stationed there, 

 and as soon as our eyes were a little better we paid 

 a visit to Secheli, who is a celebrity amongst the 

 Kafir chiefs of the interior. Like Montsua, he is 

 a tall, portly old Kafir, and to me, a stranger, he 

 appeared to be a very pleasant old fellow. He was 

 living in a large well-built house, over the dining- 

 room mantelpiece of which stood a handsome good- 

 sized mirror ; above the doorway was a large clock, 

 while in the bedroom I caught a glimpse of a fine 

 iron bedstead. We had tea with him, and I was 

 surprised to see it served in a silver tea-pot and a 

 handsome set of china tea-things. Altogether, judg- 

 ing only from outward and visible signs, old Secheli 

 appeared to me to be the most completely civilised 

 Kafir that I had yet seen. I have since heard that 

 although a most diligent student of the Old Testament 

 (for he can read the Sechuana translation), he is not 

 thought, by those who consider themselves capable 

 of judging, to be a particularly good and sound 

 Christian. He was very anxious about Oueen 

 Victoria's health, and seemed much concerned to 

 hear of the recent illness of the Prince of Wales. 

 There I met for the first time a Mr. Frank Mandy, 

 of Graham's Town, a gentleman with whom 1 soon 



