CHAPTER II. 



OUR ZULUS. 



After as much interference as petty Portuguese 

 officials only know how to give, we shook the dust 

 off our feet and departed, mind, on foot. This we 

 should not have been able to do as expeditiously as 

 we did, but for a piece of luck. We had scarcely 

 landed when a Zulu accosted us with the extensive 

 English vocabulary of "How do?" He brought 

 another native of the reassuring name of " Sunday," 

 who spoke our language intelligibly. From him we 

 learned that he had been in the employ of Mr. 

 Leslie, of Natal, and that he would undertake ser- 

 vice ; further, that he could bring with him some of 

 his countrymen. Sunday was as good as his word ; 

 in half an hour he paraded before us eleven as likely 

 recruits as ever took the Queen's shilling. There 

 was not a word of haggling as to pay, &c. ; all were 

 ready to start there and then, for each man had his 

 kit with him — rather a mysterious kit, for it was 

 remarkable from its being invisible. 



I learned afterwards that these poor fellows had 

 got stuck down here and were literally starving ; 

 what was the reason of this I did not learn, but their 

 misfortune was the luckiest thing imaginable for us. 



