HER MAJESTY'S MISSION TO MATABELELAND 151 



medicine, when a rush, sudden and unexpected, was made by the 

 whole army towards where Lobengula was known to be. Not 

 thinking it desirable to run away, we stood our ground, and were 

 at once enveloped by the right wing, surrounded many deep by 

 warriors waving their sticks and shouting to the King for corn. 

 The behaviour of the men was greatly to their credit indeed, 

 an example to many a supposed civilised nation. The men did 

 their utmost to prevent our being too much pressed upon ; they 

 did not annoy us in any way, and when we joined in their cry 

 for corn seemed greatly amused. I cannot help wondering what 

 would have happened to two Matabele warriors in full uniform in 

 the rush of a London mob, and greatly fear that but few of their 

 feathers would have remained on their backs, and that they 

 would not have escaped, as we did, almost untouched. The 

 rush over, the men took up their former positions, singing the 

 monotonous but melodious song, beating time with their feet and 

 striking their shields with the sticks. A procession of queens 

 now appeared, led by Toskay, head queen of the capital. Got 

 up in all their finery in every colour of the rainbow, gorgeous 

 bead aprons, coils of beads as anklets, bracelets, necklets, and 

 hanging round the waist, which was further adorned with 

 coloured cloth, with orange kerchief (the royal colour) over the 

 shoulder, and dozens of blue jay's feathers stuck singly into the 

 hair, these royal ladies danced into the enclosure to a most 

 grotesque measure, two and two, smiling at first, presently 

 puffing and blowing the most ridiculously comical spectacle it 

 is possible to imagine. The poor ladies danced up to the troops 

 and in front of the ranks, like a flight of brilliant butterflies 

 fluttering from flower to flower. The chief indunas every now 

 and then advanced towards the King, who now was sitting in 

 front of the cow kraal, shouting his praises. A very heavy 

 thunderstorm in the middle of the day somewhat spoiled the 

 performance, for the drenched and dripping warriors had lost 

 some of their ardour ; still they went on singing until late into 

 the afternoon. The King, unfortunately, did not don his uniform, 

 nor did he throw the assegai wherewith in former years he 

 notified the direction in which the armies were to march in 

 search of rapine, conquest, and plunder. 



During the following morning His Majesty was busily engaged 

 choosing the cattle to be slaughtered, and these were presently 



