HALT ON THE INK WEST. 185 
trader had been stopped on their way to the King's 
Town at the Inkwesi River, where the first Mata- 
bele kraal is, and were there when I came up.^ 
I got on very well up to the time of my reaching 
these waggons, and stayed a couple of days at 
them with Dorehill, who was awaiting further news 
from the King's. On leaving the waggons I met the 
messenger he had sent to the king returning with a 
message from the latter to Dorehill that he was to 
ride on and see him, I went on, but had great dif- 
ficulty in keeping my boys from turning back. 
However, I explained to them that if they kept 
with me there was no likelihood of their being hurt, 
as no white man's servants ever were interfered with, 
whereas, if they turned back, they might be killed. 
They would of course have liked me to turn back 
with them ; but seeing I was determined to go on, 
they thought it was their best chance to remain in 
my company. I of course knew there was not 
much fear of anything being done to them as long 
as they were with me, as the king holds everything 
belonging to white men sacred, and his people dare 
not commit any violence on Kafirs protected by a 
white man. The fact is my boys were principally 
Makalakas, who are slaves to the Matabele, and 
whose lives are considered worthless. 
" One night I was very angry with them, for I 
had been riding on in advance, and kept on riding 
^ Mr. Dorehill had been met by Frank Gates previously at Ba- 
mangwato, and subsequently accompanied him part of the way on 
his final journey to the Zambesi. 
