SOUTHERN AFRICA. 153 



and they instantly slunk into the jungle. Having* covered 

 up the carcase with bushes^ I returned to the wag'g-ons^ and 

 found that Piet had already arrived with an abundant 

 supply of g'noo's flesh. He, too, had narrowly escaped 

 stumbling* over a lion in the long* g-rass. These troublesome 

 beasts appeared to be so numerous, that we made a more 

 substantial fence than usual for the oxen, and had no reason 

 to regret having taken the precaution ; as numbers were 

 roaring and prowling* round the camp towards morning, 

 endeavouring to effect an entrance. 



Over the evening* fire, 'Lingap favoured us with the 

 particulars that he had been able to collect regarding* the 

 attack on the emigrant farmers, extolling Kalipi's bravery 

 to the skies. Himself a warrior of tried courage, he had 

 formed one of the commando that captured Erasmus's wag- 

 gons. His e3^es glistened as he spoke of the pleasure he 

 had derived from feeling his spear enter white flesh. It 

 slipped in, he said, grasping his assagai and suiting the 

 action to the word, so much more satisfactorily than into 

 the tough hide of a black savage, that he preferred sticking* 

 a Dutchman to eating- the king's beef. When sufiiciently 

 sated with roast meat, and primed with snufl", he treated 

 us to a love ditty, in the course of which he looked most 

 killing*. Both he and Mohanycom were much elated at 

 Kalipi's success, and as the evening* advanced, being joined 

 by a large party of friends, they all struck uj) a war chorus 

 in praise of the king*, which they continued until a late 

 hour, howling and dancing* until they were exhausted. We 

 could never arrive at any interpretation of their songs, and 

 of this in particular, beyond what I have already given. 

 Strange though it must appear, it is a fact that, whether 

 from fear or superstition, the devotion of these savages to 

 their tyrannic chieftain amounts to positive adoration. Pre- 

 sent or absent he absorbs all their praises, and is the only 



