226 EXPEDITION INTO 



tog-ether the scattered befids ; and hang"ing" each a hoop of 

 wire about his neck^ whilst they placed their shields and 

 bundles on their heads, departed angrily^ Mohanycom de- 

 claring'j with a mysterious air, as he opened his shark-like 

 jaws in our presence for the last time, that "when the 

 mig-htiest of monarchs should behold such trash, his royal 

 heart would be very soreV^ 



Without either g-uide, escort, or interpreter — in the midst 

 of an unknown wilderness, bordering- on the recent scene of 

 bloody strife, and still scoured by the contending- parties — 

 our little band was now left in a hig'hly unenviable position. 

 After providing us, as he supposed, with a g-uard to the verg-e 

 of his dominions, his Majesty had not, in all probability, 

 deemed it necessary to acquaint the different frontier out-= 

 posts of our approaching- exit ; and deprived as we now were 

 of the means of holding- communication with his warriors, 

 should we fall in with them, the least evil that could be 

 anticipated in the present excited state of their feeling-s, 

 would be a journey back to Kapain. Adding- to the above 

 prospect, the probability of annoyance or misrepresentation 

 on the part of the recreant escort, we plainly perceived that 

 the sooner we were out of Moselekatse's country, the better 

 it was likely to fare with ourselves. 



The Matabili were fast receding- in sing-le file towards the 

 northern horizon, when we commenced our retreat to the 

 southward j and crossing- the river by a natural causeway 

 which formed a small bubljling- cascade, shaped our course 

 along- the bank. A verdant meadow, on which numerous 

 elands were grazing- in herds like tame cattle, stretched away 

 before us, and was traversed, throug-liout its leng-th, by the 

 silver stream of the tortuous Chonapas, winding- in rainbow 

 brightness betAveen fring-es of waving- bulrushes. The 

 direction it assumed convincing us that it must be a tributary 

 of the river to which we were journeying-, we determined. 



