THE IVORY RECOVERED. 205 



The chief whom I wanted sat in the forum with most 

 of his men ; so, dismounting from my horse, I walked 

 up to them, and sat down on the ground in native cus- 

 tom, and, taking snufF myself, handed it round. While 

 I was doin^ this, John and Carey, armed, occu'pied the 

 two places of exit from the forum. I sat silent for a 

 little, and then said, " My heart is very bitter with the 

 chief of this village. You were hungry, and I killed 

 much flesh and fat for you. I told you that many of 

 my elephants were lying dead, and that 1 wanted their 

 teeth. You promised me to watch the vultures, and 

 bring me the teeth. I have traced your spoor home 

 from one of these elephants. Why did the tusks not 

 come to my wagons ? I do not want to shed your 

 blood, but I require the teeth to be laid immediately 

 before me." 



They all immediately exclaimed, " The teeth are 

 forthcoming, they are forthcoming : wait a little, chief 

 of the white men. We saw the vultures, and hid the 

 teeth for you." I was delighted to hear this, but I pre- 

 tended still to be very angry, and answered, "My heart 

 is still very bitter, for you should have brought the teeth 

 at once to me, and not caused me to come with guns to 

 seek my teeth." The chief then at once dispatched 

 five or six active men to bring the teeth ; and Bechu- 

 ana beer and porridge were placed before me. In an 

 hour the men returned, bearing the tusks of my lost 

 elephant. I was right glad to see them; they were im- 

 mense teeth, and very finely arched, and almost per- 

 fect. I then chose some skins of koodoo and blue wilde- 

 beests out of their kraals for packing my ivory in the 

 wagons, for which4 promised them beads; after which 

 [ returned to camp, the natives going befoie mc, bear- 

 ing the teeth and skins. These men had drawn the 



