Our 1'artv again United. 265 



hearing a noise, went out in the dusk of the 

 morning, and seeing three large animals, hred at 

 them witli his rifle and hiid them all low. Snnrise 

 revealed to him that he had slain three of his 

 master's donkeys. I foimd on getting to Hartley 

 Hill that Mr. Alfred Beit, accompanied by Messrs. 

 Perkins and Rolker, had gone into tsetse-flv 

 country to inspect some reefs about the wealth of 

 which rumour had been active, situated in the 

 " Eiffel district," and were not expected back for 

 two or three days. On the following morning, to 

 my great relief. Major Giles turned up with a 

 Avaggon laden ^vitli stores and other things of 

 which I was much in want. He brouo-ht re- 

 assuring news of my waggons and oxen, which he 

 had left outsi:)anned on the Hunyani river, twelve 

 miles from Fort Salisbury. The difficulties and 

 distresses of the expedition had not in reality been 

 so great as had been represented to me in the 

 letter I received three weeks before, while hunting 

 on the Upi^er Umfuh. The oxen had now found 

 good veldt, where they were picking up strength 

 and putting on flesh rapidly. Captain Williams 

 arrived in the evening from Fort Salisbury, 

 accomj^anied by Sir John AVillough1)y, the latter 

 on his way to the Zambesi. On the following day 

 Surgeon Rayner, Captain Coventry, and Mr. 

 Mackay came into camp. Our party then was 

 again united, with the exception of i\Ir. Edgell, 

 left in charge of the waggons and oxen on the 

 Hunyani river, A month and two days had 

 elapsed since we separated at Fort Victoria, and it 



