ARRIVAL AT MOLOKa's VILLAGE. 275 



men came and asked to be taken by us to Shupanga, 

 saying that they did not want to remain any longer 

 with the Makololos, their present husbands. Oh ! the 

 fickle fair sex ! — (dark I should have said !) 



At night we were again attacked by travelling ants, 

 and I had a narrow escape of having my head smashed 

 by the fall of a long reed (weighing two stone) from 

 a tree under which I was sleeping. This unwelcome 

 visitor fell on the guncase which I used as a pillow, 

 smashing it in, having missed my head by four inches. 

 I must confess to having been rather startled, and need 

 not add that I took up my bed and walked pretty 

 quickly ! 



There was a good deal of thunder and lightning all 

 night, but no rain. It w^as evident the rains were ap- 

 proaching, and we were anxious to get down to the 

 Kongoni before the floods. 



Next morning, October 14th, Masiko came to visit 

 me. It will be remembered that he was the first Ma- 

 kololo I had seen in the country. At two o'clock I 

 started with all m}^ kit for Moloka's village, four or 

 five miles down the river, where he had gone last 

 night, having made me promise to come to-day and 

 join him. On arriving there I was informed that he 

 had gone some little distance to see his garden; but that 

 he had left word for a messenger to be dispatched to 

 him directly I should arrive; and it was not long before 

 he came, with his train of followers, " doing the chief " 

 heavy. He wore a red-flannel shirt and white trow- 

 sers, and put on a wonderful amount of side ! 



After a hearty welcome, Moloka, having informed me 



T 2 



