SOUTHERN AFRICA. 115 



^^ HaiyoJi ! Haiyah !" and the rej^ort is made in a raised 

 tone. This done, the soldier remains crouched a few seconds^ 

 his eyes bent on the g-round^ and if the king- has no ques- 

 tions to ask, suddenl}^ spring's on his feet, exclaiming-, 

 " TIaiyali /" and runs back to his weapons. 



Moselekatse frequently inquired about King- William's 

 flocks and herds, asking- if they were very extensive, a 

 subject on which we could not enlig-hten him. He also 

 spoke of our Sovereig-n's armies. The king-'s own warriors, 

 who were present, we could not but admu'e, althoug-h the 

 despot described them as young* unfleshed soldiers, who had 

 not yet g-ained a name in arms. They were, g-enerally 

 speaking-, tall and handsome ; clad with the usual tails, 

 and the addition of two long- red feathers in the hair when 

 it was unshorn, or a cluster of varieg-ated white and black 

 feathers from the king-fisher or jay, falling- g-racefully so as 

 to obscure one eye. They carried a short thrusting'-spear 

 — a club of rhinoceros horn, ^^'hich is thrown with unerrino- 

 precision — and an elong-ated elliptical shield of ox-hide, 

 with the hair displayed. The size of this buckler is regu- 

 lated by the stature of the warrior, reaching* in all cases 

 from the g-round to his chin. A stick variously decorated 

 at the ends is secured on the inner side, and two parallel 

 strips of hide, differing- in colour from the shield, are so 

 interlaced as to traverse its whole leng-th, imparting- a 

 striking- eftect to the accoutred warrior. 



Excepting- those individuals of distinction by whom he 

 was g-enerally attended, no subjects, or ^^ dog-s," as he 

 termed them, ever passed the royal person without bendhig- 

 their bodies almost double, preserving- that obsequious 

 posture several paces before and after passing-. The king- 

 seldom moved without half a dozen mao-nates in his train, 

 the heralds howling* at intervals, leaping* about in imitation 

 of some Avild beast, and loudly praising- ^'^ the noble ele- 



