WAGGONS AT THE MATENGWE. 241 
" A man who knows the Falls and this road well 
has undertaken to conduct me to the Falls and back.^ 
He is a coloured individual certainly, but appears a 
very intelligent and capable fellow. He has been 
hunting for Wood and Selous, and it is thought he 
will prove very efficient. He has insisted on large 
relays of medicine and food, and I have been able to 
get nearly everything I wanted here. There were in 
fact eight waggons in all here yesterday. The 
trader, who lost his finger when coming on with me 
before, with his two waggons, and a partner of his 
with one waggon, went on last night. Another trader 
is turning back now with Wood and Selous, who 
are going back ; and another waggon, belonging to 
a party of Griquas, has gone on with the traders. 
" I expect to be back in Bamangwato in Feb- 
ruary, en route for home. ... I can scarcely fancy 
myself returning so soon from a successful visit to 
the Falls, having so often failed ; but I think you 
will agree with me that I was not wrong in deter- 
mining to make another attempt, as things turned 
out, and acting, as I am, on what I consider to be 
very competent advice. It is now the beginning of 
the rainy season, but very little rain has yet fallen ; 
only a few heavy showers, with intervals of very hot 
weather between them." 
The day after writing this letter — on the 3d of 
December — Frank Gates started off again, as above 
mentioned, towards the Zambesi, and soon came up 
1 This was a native from the Cape, named John Mackenna, who, 
as well as Klaus the driver, remained with Frank Gates till his death. 
K 
