Ill LOBENGULA,KINGOFAMANDEBELE 35 



scenery of the whole country between John Lee's 

 and the Shashani river is very remarkable, and 

 exceedingly picturesque. In many parts the country 

 is covered with small hills composed entirely of huge 

 stones, piled one upon another in the most fantastic 

 manner, many of which present a very strong 

 resemblance, especially by moonlight, to old ruined 

 castles. Amongst these wonderfully picturesque 

 hills the waggon road winds for many miles, until, 

 shortly after crossing the Shashani river, it emerges 

 upon the open park-like plateau of the Matabele 

 country, which extends to beyond ^ Gubulawayo. 



We found that, owing to the scarcity of grass for 

 cattle near the chief town, Lobengula had trekked 

 away and built a temporary kraal near Amachee 

 Maschlopay (white stones); so we too trekked straight 

 across the country to where he was, getting there 

 towards evening. Here we found Mr. G. A. Phillips, 

 who had already been eight years in the country, 

 trading and hunting, and he kindly gave us a goat 

 to slaughter. The following morning Lobengula, 

 king of the powerful tribe of the Matabele, came 

 down to our waggons. He is a man standing about 

 5 feet 10 or 11, strongly and stoutly built, and even 

 at that date was growing very stout ; he was then 

 dressed in a greasy shirt and dirty pair of trousers, 

 but I am happy to say that during the last few years 

 I have known him, he has discarded European 

 clothing, and now always appears in his own native 

 dress, in which he looks what he is — the chief of a 

 savage and barbarous people. After saying a few 



^ This town was tounclcd by Lobengula in 1870, and its name 

 implies "the place of him whom they wanted to kill," being derived 

 from the verb " Bulala," to kill, and referring to the revolt against his 

 authority by a portion of his subjects who favoured the pretensions of 

 his rival "Kuruman." 



