COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 325 



prints and looking-glasses as presents. We travelled 

 about and were entertained in lordly style. 



" They killed pigs for us, which they roasted 

 whole by inserting hot stones into their 'inwards,' 

 and held high feastings. We slept in native huts. 

 They showed us a dance which the girls did sitting 

 tailor fashion, waving their arms ; very graceful. 



" I raised a frenzy by dancing a Highland fling 

 and scottische which ended (unexpectedly) with a 

 heavy thud on the floor. Natives are very hand- 

 some, not a bit African nigger type. 



" One curious and pleasant custom is to lay one's 

 head in the lap of a princess and be massaged — a 

 high honour. Politics very interesting here at 

 present, as the king is dead and five chiefs aspire to 

 reign. They have meetings every other day, at 

 which they eat and talk a lot, to elect a king. I 

 know Mataafa, the probable one, quite well." 



In May, 1901, the Royal Buckhounds were 

 abolished. The King gave seventeen couple to 

 Mr. Seymour, Master of the West Norfolk Hounds. 

 The remainder were sent to Lord Chesham at 

 Johannesburg. No competent person was sent out 

 in charge of them and no one knew their names. 

 They had better have stayed at home ! Frank 

 Goodall having lost his place as Royal huntsman, 

 the King presented him with ^1,000, and he was 

 appointed huntsman to the Berks and Bucks Farmers' 

 Staghounds, which hunt the country that belonged 

 to the Royal Buckhounds. 



