302 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



but missed her most disgracefully, though I was very 

 close to her. She was in the last stage of emaciation 

 from old age and want of food, and would, I think, 

 have died a natural death in the course of a few 

 days. She was nothing but a bag of bones covered 

 with a mangy old skin, and her teeth were worn 

 down to the gums. 



November ii^th. — Reached the river Chaiza, near 

 which there are several Batonga kraals. On an island 

 near here, Lorengo Monteiro, a half-caste Portuguese 

 trader, has established himself, with a large following 

 of Shakundas. From him we got reliable information 

 about the road, and he also got us two guides to 

 Nhaucoe, the nearest Portuguese trading station. In 

 the afternoon there was a row at the next kraal 

 between the Batongas and some Shakundas, one of 

 whom had ill-treated a Batonga woman. The 

 Batongas demanded payment ; the Shakundas refused, 

 and fired upon them, but without doing any damage. 

 The Batongas then came on with their assegais, 

 killing one Shakunda and wounding another, 



November i^th. — A deputation of Batongas came 

 up to demand the life of the Shakunda they had 

 wounded yesterday ; they were only armed with 

 assegais and shields of ox and buffalo hides. On 

 their arrival they all squatted under a tree close to 

 our encampment. The Shakundas must, however, 

 have foreseen this, and collected all their men from 

 the surrounding kraals during the night, as they 

 came over in force, most of them armed with flint- 

 lock muskets, and a few with bows and arrows, and 

 after a good deal of talking, the Batongas resigned 

 their claim and returned to their kraal. 



November 15///. — Got rid of our Kafirs from 

 Wankie's. 



