HAS THE MAC AL AC A GONE WRONG? 225 



from sun-cracks, but otherwise good. Timber became 

 much more abundant, in places that looked like dry 

 river-beds it was luxuriant, camile-dorn and the or- 

 dinary mimosa predominating. 



After breakfast I gave Umganey a gorgeous old 

 cricketing suit, of which blue and yellow were the 

 chief colours. As he had been elevated to the post 

 of major-domo it was necessary that he should be looked 

 up to by his companions, and nothing is more conducive 

 to this result among blacks may I not add among 

 whites ? as being well dressed. It did one good to see 

 how his face beamed with delight when he received 

 the treasures. Umganey when hired and Umganey now 

 are two totally distinct persons ; then he was thin and 

 wasted, with a blotchy skin ; now he is fat and sleek, 

 while his hide shines as if it had been well greased. 



Here one of the Macalacas rushed up to me ; he 

 brandished his assegai, looked volumes, but said nothing 

 intelligible ; then rent his clothes, or at least took them 

 off, for he wore an old soldier's coat of the 15th, and 

 sat down. 



The driver stopped the bullocks, and I looked on in 

 amazement. Was the wretched man about to commit 

 hari-cari? Had he turned mad, or was this some vile 

 attempt to create sympathy and prey upon my good 

 nature ? I looked on and knew not how to act. Should 

 I kick him or should I pity him ? It was hard to decide, 

 for I was ignorant of the man's language, and he might 

 either be the sufferer of some unknown or harassing wrong 

 or a malingerer. Undecided what to think or do, the 

 object of my solicitude seized several handfuls of earth, 

 and not scattering it over his head as the Jews did of 

 old rubbed his chest and armpits with it. Some 

 p 



