THE ' BLACK king: hi 
unnoticed by the king, who, however, soon came out, 
and Fairbairn, John, and I, went to him, Dick and 
Jacob following. It was so late that we did little. 
" Had supper on Australian meat in Fairbairn's 
waggon. Rain came on, and I heard showers during 
the night. When we left the king, he chaffed John, 
and said he looked weak, as if he was hungry. Last 
night John had asked for meat, and he said he had 
no beef and his sheep were poor. He seems really 
not to be killing oxen at present. Fairbairn has 
told Nina that we are eating tinned fish. Fish is 
held in utter abomination by these people, and Nina 
said her brother ought not to let us eat it. Fair- 
bairn says they used, when they wanted meat, to rig 
up a dummy fishing-rod, and march off with it, taking 
care to pass in sight of the king, and the moment he 
suspected fishing, he would send them a large piece 
of meat. 
" One sees all shades of colour in these people. 
The Makalakas are much darker as a rule than 
the Matabele, who are usually coppery red or some- 
times yellow. The king, however, is black, and, 
I believe, about as black as any of his race, and 
far more so than most. He deserves his epithet of 
' black king.' The dogs are a great source of fear 
at present. They are constantly attacking people, 
and lately half, if not altogether, killed an induna. 
Fairbairn says the king showed him his own trousers 
torn the other day, as proof that even their master 
was not exempt. 
''JaniiMy 2'X^d. — Wretched rainy and gusty morn- 
