XVI SLOW PROGRESS 341 



February x^tli. — Reached MendoiK^a's island, 

 Cassoko, where I was very kindly received. On 

 the following day I despatched two boys with a few 

 provisions for Owen. These were all the people that 

 Mendonc^'a could spare ; for, Da Costa having sent 

 word to him that many ot his men were ill with fever 

 and unable to work, he had sent all his spare Kafirs 

 to help him out with the ivory he had traded. 



March ^th. — Owen reached here to-day in a very 

 weak and dilapidated state. 



March 21st. — Having bought seven pieces of calico 

 (24 yjtrds) and 5 lbs. ot powder from Mendon(^a, 

 we made a start for the Matabele country, intending 

 to follow the northern bank of the Zambesi west- 

 wards, until we had passed the mouth of the Sanyati, 

 and then to cross the river and strike straight across 

 country to Inyati. Though I myself was now pretty 

 strong again, Owen was so terribly weak and ill that 

 we made but very slow progress, and did not reach 

 Matua's kraal — where I had shot the eland cow 

 coming in — until the 29th. Here I went out hunt- 

 ing, and shot a zebra mare. I only wounded her at 

 the first shot, and had a very long chase before 

 eventually killing her. I fmcy I must have over- 

 exerted myself, for that night I felt ill and feverish, 

 and seemed to lose all my strength again, 



April 1st. — Ov/en was now completely knocked 

 up, and too weak to walk a step farther. In this 

 state of things there was nothing for it but to make 

 some sort of a portable bed and get Kafirs to carry 

 him. This, after a considerable delay, 1 managed to 

 do ; and at last, on April 4th, we crossed to the 

 southern side of the Zambesi. Here 1 hired eight 

 strong men to carry Owen, each of whom brought a 

 boy or servant to carry his blanket and cooking-pot, 



