234 MODE OF PASSING THE NIGHT. 



perquisite the heads of all the oxen slaughtered, and of all 

 the game too. E)ach person knows the station he is to 

 occupy, in reference to the post of honour at the fire in 

 front of the door of the tent. The two Makololo occupy 

 my right and left, both in eating and sleeping, as long as 

 the journey lasts. But Mashauana, my head boatman, 

 makes his bed at the door of the tent as soon as I retire. 

 The rest, divided into small companies according to their 

 tribes, make sheds all round the fire, leaving a horseshoe- 

 shaped space in front sufficient for the cattle to stand in. 

 The fire gives confidence to the oxen, so the men are 

 always careful to keep them in sight of it. The sheds 

 are formed by planting two stout forked poles in an 

 inclined direction, and placing another over these in a 

 horizontal position. A number of branches are then stuck 

 in the ground in the direction to which the poles are 

 inclined, the twigs drawn down to the horizontal pole and 

 tied with strips of bark. Long grass is then laid over the 

 branches in sufficient quantity to draw off the rain, and 

 we have sheds open to the fire in front, but secure from 

 beasts behind. In less than an hour we were usually all 

 under cover. We never lacked abundance of grass during 

 the whole journey. It is a picturesque sight at night, 

 when the clear bright moon of these climates glances on 

 the sleeping forms around, to look out upon the attitudes 

 of profound repose both men and beasts assume. There 

 being no danger from wild animals in such a night, the 

 fires are allowed almost to go out ; and as there is no fear 

 of hungry dogs coming over sleepers and devouring the 

 food, or quietly eating up the poor fellows' blankets, 

 which at best were but greasy skins, which sometimes 

 happened in the villages, the picture was one of perfect 

 peace. 



The cooking is usually done in the natives' own style, 

 and, as they carefully wash the dishes, pots, and the 

 hands before handling food, it is by no means despicable. 

 Sometimes alterations are made at my suggestion, and 

 then they believe that they can cook in thorough white 

 man's fashion. The cook always comes in for something 

 left in the pot, so all are eager to obtain the office. 



I taught several of them to wash my shirts, and they 

 did it well, though their teacher had never been taught 

 that work himself. Frequent changes of linen and sunning 

 of my blanket kept me more comfortable than might have 



