94 
MATABELE LAND. 
packed the front-box of my waggon. King called, 
and asked for his bottle of brandy and some large 
shot. He afterwards sent a boy for the brandy, 
whom I accompanied back to the king's, and having 
given the brandy and shot, offered him six muskets 
I had been hoping all this time to sell him, and 
without any trouble got four fine elephants' teeth 
for them, about 1 50 lbs. of ivory altogether. 
''January -^d. — Moonlight night — full moon, I 
think. Looked out early ; the moon was still 
gorgeously bright, and surrounded by a halo of light 
in a violet sky, studded here and there also with a 
star. In the east was the deep red of approaching 
sunrise. Morning at first slightly overcast and tole- 
rably cool, but the day soon became very hot, though 
tempered somewhat by the wind. Decided to have 
a new sail made for the waggon. Myers working 
at the old framework, patching it up. Having 
things out of the waggon, and also out of the 
tent (as I was rearranging the latter), I stayed 
about a good deal, not trusting John. A lot of 
cheeky 'majachas' (warriors) about. Whilst one 
of them was selling me honey, a lot came in, and I 
saw one abstract a knob-kerry of rhinoceros horn 
from under the waggon, and throw it out of the 
scherm.^ He then ran away, seeing himself de- 
1 These knob-kerries, which answer the purpose of a hfe-preserver, 
are made of various kinds of wood or of rhinoceros horn, and carved 
according to the fancy of the maker. They are sometimes adorned 
with beads (see one of those in the woodcut), but the more ordinary 
form is that of a short stick with a single rounded knob at the end, 
to give it weight. The natives can throw them a great distance with 
