START UP COUNTRY. 5 



them on horseback, Willie remaining to sleep with 

 them, and I returning here for the night. Willie 

 has ridden in here this morning, and we shall both go 

 on again to the waggons, which travel very slowly. I 

 think we have been fortunate in getting good oxen 

 for them. We have also a young horse, a very pretty 

 bay, which had only begun to be broken a fortnight 

 when we got him, but which is four years old and 

 likely to turn out very well. We have also another 

 bay horse, which Willie rides. These two are about 

 14^ hands high. We have three smallish ponies — 

 one a very pretty brown one, and two little rough 

 black ones. Of course we are taking dogs also. 

 We bought four pointers, and have likewise had a 

 rough dog given us, and another promised, and shall 

 try to pick up as many as we can as we go along, 

 for they are invaluable to have about the camp. 

 . . . We go with Gray as far as Bamangwato, and 

 shall then either go on with him to Lake Ngami, or 

 visit the Victoria Falls direct, or we may go first to 

 the Lake and make little explorations to the north 

 and north-west, and in the May following go on to 

 the Victoria Falls, and thence return here. .... 

 Gray is on excellent terms with the king, Lechula- 

 tebe, a good native, who would assist us in every 

 way in his power. If we go to the Falls we pass 

 through the country of Lobengula, the son of 

 Mosilikatze, whose name you will see in the maps. 

 Lobengula is reported to be a ' decent chap ' by a 

 friend of ours, a doctor here from Dewsbury, whose 

 Christian name is Oates. We go by Mooi River, 



