IVORY TRADING. 



00 



that he is almost imperceptible, while the former are 

 only capable of doing injury when within a few yards. 



But to return to the strangers who now were 

 permitted to encamp without our gates ; of course 

 we had to feed them, and in return for our food we 

 resolved to utilise them. This idea was not original, 

 but put into our heads by the sagacious Sunday and 

 Umpiqua, and therefore is not a bad illustration of 

 how the races treat each other. 



An evening or two after our Zulus had whacked 

 these visitors, while smoking our pipes round the 

 camp fire, Sunday remarked in a stage whisper to 

 his fidus Achates, "These Mantatees know where 

 there is plenty of ivory ; suppose the Bass said, ' No 

 ivory, no more meat,' you see how quick they fetch 

 some." There was little escaped Dillon's sight, 

 and just as little his ears, so in the quietest manner, 

 as if the subject had not the slightest interest for us, 

 he requested further information from Sunday. This 

 worthy required no pumping, for he had made 

 exactly the impression he desired, so it was resolved, 

 as far as in our power lay, that the enjoyment of 

 succulent hippopotami steaks, tender bits of cow 

 buffalo, and gamey-flavoured strips of venison, was 

 only to be obtained by purchase, and that ivory was 

 to represent the coin. It was a day or two before 

 our guests could comprehend our views, but they 

 did ultimately, and did so very much to our satis- 

 faction. 



u 



