1 84 MAT AB RLE LAND. 
also said that all waggons coming from the Zambesi 
were to be turned back, and not allowed to leave till 
the rains fell, which begin about October. It was In 
vain I pleaded that I had special leave from the 
king. They said their orders were peremptory — all 
waggons to be turned back, and if the people with 
them refused to obey, the waggons were to be seized, 
and all the boys who persisted in accompanying 
them killed. This of course frightened my Kafirs, 
and all I could do was to turn back, and go to the 
king in person. 
" On the 25th of June I was once more at Tati, 
and decided to ride to the King's Town, but a fresh 
difficulty arose In getting boys to go with me, as my 
own boys say the white men are the cause of all this 
trouble, for they bring the sickness, and they are 
afraid the king will kill them for accompanying white 
men. At last, however, this difficulty was sur- 
mounted, and I set off on the 30th of June with my 
two horses, and eight boys carrying my baggage. 
Gordon, a Mungwato trader, arrived at Tati en route 
for the King's whilst I was making my preparations, 
but says there were no letters there for me when he 
left. He could not go on even to the King's without 
special leave, as the king has heard of ' red- water,' 
the Natal cattle disease, and is in a great fright about 
it. Indeed, If it got amongst his cattle, his nation 
would suffer terribly. It seems, too, from recent 
reports, that It is contagious, though we never used 
to think so. 
" Dorehill's waggon and the waggons of another 
