204 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



met witli had had its adventure with these beasts. 

 One trekker, while journeying, had had his span 

 attacked by a hon. An ox was kilk'd, and the 

 remainder broke loose from the yokes, strayed into 

 the bush, into the darkness of the night, and six 

 were never recovered, AVe took extra precautions 

 in the way of lighting and keeping up several 

 tires all night round our camp, but we never saw, 

 or even heard, a lion. From the Umfuli to the 

 Hunyani River bush veldt is traversed, in parts 

 thick. The road slightly improves in character. 

 Soon after leaving the Umfuli I went on in the 

 " spider," the mule waggon proceeding "\\dth its 

 diminished team at a verv slow ])iice. I reached 

 Fort Salisbury on the evening of the 1 5tli August, 

 having accomplished a distance of thirty-tivc miles 

 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. This was 

 good travelling for this part of the world. i\.bout 

 six miles from Fort Salisbury, after emerging 

 from the bush on to the open plain, the traveller 

 passes on his right hand a large and remarkable 

 native kraal. The small conical-roofed hut and 

 store -places of the Mashonas dwelling here are 

 perched on the various jutting and projecting 

 peaks and points of n large rocky ko])jc. Access 

 to many of these can only be obtained by means 

 of long poles and rough ladders. Fear of the 

 savage Matabele compels the natives thus to dwell. 

 Lobengula has raided, ravaged, and depopulated 

 the country. The traveller can procure neither 

 mealies, cattle, meat, eggs, poultry, nor milk. All 

 has been taken or destroyed. In a year or two it 



