I20 MATABELE LAND. 
habitants, Mashonas I think, are far more in keeping 
with the scene, to my mind, than their supplanters.^ 
*' Wankee cut a dissel-boom, and we inspanned 
about 2.15 P.M. First we went up hill, and then 
began to descend through a tolerably open grass 
country, with trees about as far apart as one sees 
them in an orchard. The country we passed through 
is extremely pretty — grass long, trees graceful and 
NATIVE HUNTING-KNIVES. 
varied, broken crags, with kopjes all round. Through 
it we descended to the Shashani, which is in a valley, 
and we must have crossed it say about 3 p.m. We then 
soon crossed a spruit, and after this in a heavy part 
of the road, where the ruts had been worn into deep 
holes, we stuck. This would be about 3.40 p.m. We 
made vain efforts to get out, let the oxen feed a little, 
and again tried, and tried in vain. The front oxen, 
^ Brass wire is considerably used by the natives of South Africa 
for purposes of ornamentation. Above are represented two hunting- 
knives, the upper one of which has the sheath and handle (which are 
of wood) handsomely adorned with fine twisted brass wire. The 
sheath of the lower knife is of raw hide strongly sewn together. 
