214 MATABELE LAND. 
boys were driven away just as much as they had 
been before. All I could do was to buy water for 
my own use of the women, who brought it every 
morning, and to hope that the animals managed to 
get a little now and then. I had also had a disagree- 
ment with the people about some goats which I had 
bought for a gun. The day after I bought them the 
gun had been brought back and the goats demanded, 
which I refused to give up, threatening to shoot any 
one who touched them. However, as soon as they 
went out to feed, the goats were seized, as I fully 
expected they would be, but the gun had been left. 
After this I refused to trade any more, and drove all 
the people away except those who brought water. 
" Now, whether it was Manyami's son, or whether 
it was the Makalakas, or whether it was a mere 
chance, a party of Matabele heard that my waggon 
was broken, and determined to make capital out of 
my misfortunes. It was the 7th of September. The 
weather was extremely sultry, and I lay nearly all 
my time in the waggon, reading. This evening, 
however, a heavy shower of rain, with thunder and 
lightning, cooled the air — the first rain of the season. 
I had been a short walk, keeping near the waggon, 
and looking for a pheasant or partridge. Immedi- 
ately after my return I was disgusted beyond measure 
to see a party of Matabele, some twenty in number, 
filing past with shields and assegais, and sitting down 
in front of the waggon, after which the oration began. 
However, the sun set and the rain descended very 
opportunely, and they left, saying they would return 
