218 THE LUNCH AL FRESCO. 



then swung round at arm's length until a blaze was estab- 

 lished ; and a roaring fire was gladdening the hearts of the 

 Kaffirs with the anticipation of a glorious feast in about 

 ten minutes from the time that the operation was first 

 commenced. 



I joined the party as usual on these occasions, and did 

 great credit to an Englishman's eating powers. I was 

 much amused at the cool manner in which Inkau treated 

 some of the men present, who seemed to be considered 

 amongst the lower class of Kaffirs. He cut up the bucks 

 with his own hands, thereby securing the best and most 

 choice bits for himself and me \ while every now and then 

 he would look round the circle of black and expecting 

 faces, and chuck the common pieces, or tough bits, to these 

 poor wretches, who snatched them up, and after half- 

 cooking them, bolted piece after piece, like hungry curs. 



These two bucks, although each weighed about 120 

 pounds, were only sufficient for a light luncheon for the 

 Kaffirs ; although to me the men seemed to be crammed 

 like boa-constrictors. They showed a great disinclination 

 to move after their repast, although they complained that 

 they were still lambile (hungry). An immense quan- 

 tity of snuff was consumed, the tears coursing each other 

 down the cheeks of many of the party, from the strength 

 and rapidity of the doses. Seeing so great a disinclination 

 on the part of the Kaffirs to use any exertion now that 

 they were full of meat, I went by myself to have a look 

 for a sea-cow, as the colonists call the hippopotamus, the 

 Kaffir name for which is "imvubu." I was told that 

 they were to be found in the Imvoti river, and they were 



