CH. V MATABELE WAR DRESS 65 



and his sons, the Jennings family, and Messrs. W. 

 Finaughtv, J. GifFard, T. Leask, and H, Biles, all of 

 whom had thrown up the game some two years 

 previously when they found that the elephants were 

 retreating into the " fly "-infested districts, whither 

 they could not be followed on horseback ; for to 

 hunt these animals on foot was generally considered 

 to be too fatiguing a pursuit to be followed with 

 much chance of success by Europeans. 



I very soon entered into arrangements to hunt in 

 company with Wood during the following winter, 

 and to spend the meantime in trekking about the 

 Matabele country, visiting the outside kraals and 

 doing a little trade with the natives. This we at 

 once set about, and, during the next four months 

 visited all the chief towns in the country, trading 

 here and there, and making the acquaintance of all 

 the chief indunas. In the beginning of February 

 we rode to Gubulawayo on horseback, leaving our 

 waggon at Inyati, in order to witness the grand 

 dance of the " Inxwala," which is celebrated by the 

 Matabele every year when the first-fruits of the earth 

 ripen. About four thousand warriors assembled, 

 besides a great many women and young girls. The 

 men were all clothed in their splendid war dress of 

 black ostrich feathers, which consists of a sort of 

 cape of black feathers closely sewn together, covering 

 their chests and shoulders, and built up over their 

 heads in the form of a Highlander's bonnet, leaving 

 only their faces exposed. From their waists hung 

 quantities of leopard and tiger-cat tails or monkey 

 skins, which with the indunas form such a thick skirt 

 that you cannot see their legs at all. Some of the 

 indunas, instead of the bonnet of feathers, wear a roll 

 of otter skin across their foreheads, in which is stuck 



