MATABELE OPPRESSION. 79- 
are young ostriches. The latter can be driven with 
the bullocks. He says there are plenty of croco- 
diles in the river beyond the Gwailo. 
" Nelson showed me, when we were out together 
in the veldt the day before yesterday, some remains of 
Mashona huts destroyed by the Matabele. He says 
they are to be found all over the veldt, and bones 
amongst many of them. Some of the Mashonas are 
subject to the Matabele. Those that refuse allegiance 
are mercilessly hunted down. They are all formed 
of independent little tribes, and when war is made 
against one the others don't assist them. Therefore 
they fall an easy prey. The impeys sent out against 
them for their cattle are what I heard of at Gubule- 
weyo. Nelson says lately in an impey a kraal was 
taken, the young men killed (they throw away their 
scanty dress and run and are killed * like springbok '), 
and the old men and women burnt to death. The 
young women and children were made slaves of, and 
the cattle taken. Nelson's Matabele boys wanted 
him lately to drive off some cattle, saying the king 
might give him fifty of them, but he refused. The 
cattle and all the animals are kept in the same place 
as the Mashonas themselves live in (the same house, 
Nelson calls it). They are thus easily surrounded 
by the Matabele. The Matabele despise those who 
own allegiance to their chief, and call them slaves. 
One of the latter in Nelson's employ blew his face 
off with some gunpowder, doing something for his 
master on one occasion. * Never mind,' said Nelson's 
Matabele, * it is nothing, he is a dog' (the usual 
