86 MATABELE LAND. 
Oates was detained about a week, having much 
trouble and annoyance In paying off the boys he 
had engaged there for the hunt early In October, 
and it was the 2d of December before he once more 
found himself at Hope Fountain, near Gubuleweyo, 
the residence of Mr. Thomson, whence he wrote 
home the following letter : — ■ 
" Rev. J. B. Thomson's, 
" Hope Fountain, Matabele Land, 
' ' Decej/iber /^th, 1873. 
" I find there Is a good opportunity of writing 
a line home, as a trader Is o^olno- with a wasfsfon 
straight to Hope Town, and starts to-morrow. He 
has only been a fortnight coming here from Ba- 
mangwato, so he travels pretty quickly. You will, 
no doubt, before you get this, have received the last 
letter I sent you. In which I think I told you that my 
visit to the Victoria Falls had been abandoned. I 
was within 150 to 200 miles of them, and had made 
every preparation for the journey, having got the 
king's leave to proceed, escorted by one of his chief 
men, and was already packing the things for the 
bearers to carry (twenty was the number I required, 
though I should have been content with fifteen), 
when all at once the unforeseen difficulty of getting 
a sufficient number of them presented Itself The 
king had told me there would be no difficulty, but 
I was then fifty miles from him, having taken my 
waggon to be left at InyatI, whence I was starting 
