CONVICT SOLDIERS. 2/9 



board was reached. About seventy miles from Sofala 

 a second line of hills was traversed, but presented 

 no formidable obstructions to pedestrians or cattle. 



Game still continued abundant, buffalo and ele- 

 phant spoor being found in every direction ; but 

 Dillon only shot five of the former and one of the 

 latter, all being for food ; however, he never went any 

 distance from the line of march. 



At Sofala we had a slice of luck : a small brig 

 had the blue-peter flying at the foretopmast head. 

 Dillon communicated with the skipper, and induced 

 him to delay his departure for Reunion for a couple 

 of days. This gave us time to pay off our people 

 and make the necessary arrangements for the voyage. 

 Our Zulus had resolved to return to Manica, and 

 from there proceed to their countrymen in Matabele 

 Land, before returning to their own homes. 



I was truly grieved to part with them all, for 

 more faithful, honest, and courageous men never 

 served a master. 



Of Sofala I have nothing to say, more than that 

 it has a dozen or so fairish houses with several "go 

 downs " scattered about it ; the rest are miserable 

 wattle and daub shanties. On the sea-board there are 

 some attempts at fortification, but quite inadequate 

 to prevent the landing of a hostile force, while the 

 soldiers, I was told, were all convicts ; whether or 

 not, they were as sorry a crew as I ever looked at. 

 I think the garrison consisted of about forty men. 



