The Skirmish at Massi Kessi. 105 



some miles distant, wliere they "\70uld have been 

 undisturbed, but evacuated that 23lace also and 

 leaving all their stores, scattered away on the route 

 down to the Pun o- we. Mr. Victor Morier informed 

 me that the police force of the Chartered Com- 

 pany only numbered thirty-five all told. This 

 place of outspan for the night must also be com- 

 memorated bv me on account of the wonderthl 

 dinner we had that evening. Baked partridges, 

 fried partridge liver, minced koodoo and stewed 

 vegetables, winding up with hot stewed prunes. 



The next day we travelled along the Limpopo to 

 Rhodes's Drift, a distance of twenty-li\'e miles. At 

 Morrison's, a small store four miles from the drift, 

 we were fortunate in meeting Captain Laurie, 

 K.xV., now in command of the detachment of 

 Bechuanaland Border Police sruardino- the drift. 

 He conducted us across the Limpopo, and made us 

 most comfortable in his camp for the night. Our 

 cart with our luo-o-ao-e and provisions had sadlv 

 broken down, wheel and dissel-boom, having been 

 smashed over the rocky parts of the track, and 

 was far behind ; without the aid of Captain 

 Laurie we should have passed a night unprovided 

 with food, cohering, or shelter. The Limpopo, or 

 Crocodile river, was high for the time of year, the 

 water coming right over the floor of the " spider,"' 

 and well up on the shouldei's of the horse I was 

 riding. At Rhodes's Drift the river is about lliO 

 yards wide, a hue, strong flowing river. The 

 banks are steep, and the crossing was one of 

 some slight anxietv, bnt, thanks to the assistance 



