I50 MATABELE LAND. 
forward all letters to him from Maritzburg ; so when 
I arrived here and found none I could not make it 
out. To-day, however, a note arrived, the monthly 
mail coming in. This note was from Hepburn, telling 
me that a letter and newspapers were at his house for 
me, and directing me to apply to a converted native, 
who is studying for the church, and who, with others 
like him, forms a college adjoining the missionary 
houses. I was not long in going up, and found the 
things as he had said, amongst his books. ... 
" I left Tati for this place on the 4th of April, 
and reached here in a week. I had to come here for 
supplies. It is about 150 miles ; but the journey is 
no trifle. I generally trekked during the night, and 
slept comfortably, the ground being soft sand for the 
most part, and the waggon going slowly and without 
jolts. We usually made two treks of perhaps three 
hours each, say from 3 to 6, and from 8 to 11 p.m., 
and set off again about 2 a.m. and trekked till 
sunrise, which was about 6 a.m., making a trek of 
about four hours. Call our rate of travelling two 
miles an hour in heavy ground, this gives about 
twenty miles a day, roughly, and this is good 
trekking, and could not be kept up for long. Now. 
however, there is still plenty of grass and water, 
though winter is setting in and the rains nearly over. 
Two waggons accompanied me, with two traders and 
a hunter in them. The latter is quite a young fellow, 
who left England three years ago. He was educated 
at Rugby. One of the two traders was Fairbairn, 
how supplied me with goods at the town of the 
