CHAPTER XI. 



Journey to the Zulu country Hunger the best sauce A popular song 

 An unexpected guest Panda's regiments His pet vultures An inge- 

 nious scarecrow Another reit-buck The telescope A lesson in spoor- 

 ing A trial of nerves Intruding leopards A Kaffir feast and concert 

 Baked, blinded, and poisoned Peshauna, a Kaffir belle Kaffir love- 

 tale An abduction and a rescue None but the brave deserve the fair. 



HAVING received intelligence of a very good game 

 country, between the Imvoti and Tugela rivers, which 

 was seldom visited, either by the traders who went into 

 the Zulu country or by any hunters, I determined 

 to make an expedition into this part, which was about 

 seventy miles from Port Natal. To accomplish my trip 

 with comfort, I provided myself with a pack-ox that was 

 able to carry about a hundredweight; this animal I 

 loaded with some spiced beef, as a stand-by in case of 

 getting no game, some brandy, biscuits, salt, powder, 

 tobacco, and a few beads ; the latter as presents for the 

 Kaffirs. I started my ox, with two of my Kaffirs and 

 one of my horses, to get a day's journey in advance, 

 reserving my second horse to ride after the cavalcade. I 

 made all inquiries as to the style of place, but found it a 

 rare occurrence for two people's stories to agree. Some 

 said there was no game at all there, excepting a few 

 bucks; one or two Kaffirs had heard that elands and 

 buffaloes were often found in the country near the Imvoti 

 river ; others said there was not a single head of anything 

 to be found. Putting all these accounts down at their 



