346 A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. xvi 



April 2^th. — Shot a black rhinoceros bull early in 

 the morning ; also saw some elephant spoor only a day 

 old. Here I remained all day, and slept that night, 

 drying meat on platforms of wood built over fires. 

 From here until I reached the river Shangani, in the 

 Matabele, I never saw a head of game, and only the 

 spoor of one elephant bull. 



May yd. — Reached a small Matabele outpost, 

 about twenty miles distant from Inyati. 



May \tJi. — Reached Inyati, very exhausted in 

 body, but joyful in mind, where I was heartily 

 welcomed, and my wants attended to, by my kind 

 friends and compatriots, the missionaries and traders 

 of the Matabele country. The Rev. W. Sykes at 

 once exerted himself to the utmost to get men to 

 go to the relief of Owen, and two days after my 

 arrival seven men started for the Gweo, carrying all 

 the supplies and provisions that could be got together 

 on the station. I am happy to say that they found 

 Owen and my boy Franz both alive, and better in 

 health than when I left them, and eventually brought 

 them back to the Matabele country. After a three 

 weeks' rest at Inyati, I went over to Gubulawayo, 

 where I became the guest of the Rev. C. D. Helm 

 and his wife, a German lady, and one of the kindest 

 and most generous-hearted of women. Thanks to 

 the wholesome food, and the unremitting kindness 

 and attention which I received beneath their hospit- 

 able roof, I soon recovered my health, and in two 

 months' time was strong and well enough to start 

 upon another elephant-hunting expedition into the 

 Mashuna country, having first had the satisfiction 

 of seeing Owen sate in the care of the white men at 

 Gubulawayo, and in a fair way to recovery. 



