APPR OA CH OF SPRING. 3 3 



to the Victoria Falls without risk of sickness, in 

 which case I had long before decided to travel in 

 a north-easterly direction to Mosilikatze's Country, 

 the country of the Matabele, over whom Lobengula, 

 son of Mosilikatze, now reigns. I am told I shall 

 see some very beautiful scenery on my way there, 

 and I am now interested in pursuing my journey 

 as far as I can. From here to the king's town 

 they call six days, but it will probably take me 

 more. 



" Here I have met two very nice fellows. One 

 of them, Nelsson, a Swede, is managing the mine of 

 the Tati Gold Company. It is on a very small scale, 

 and there are, I think, only seven white men here 

 altogether. Brown, the other I refer to, has also 

 some office connected with the mine and keeps a 

 store. They are both extremely kind and willing 

 to do anything to help one, and I expect to find 

 more friends at the king's town — especially Mr. 

 Thomson, the missionary, for whom I have a 

 letter from Mr. Mackenzie and another from Mr. 

 Hepburn. I likewise carry the mail. 



" A flower is almost an unheard-of thing at pre- 

 sent, everything being dried up ; but the thorny 

 shrubs (acacias), with their yellow sweet-scented 

 blossoms, are an exception, and a sign of approach- 

 ing spring. The shrubs they grow on are covered 

 with long sharp thorns, and there are no leaves on 

 them, but blossoms are appearing. There is another 

 kind with hooked thorns and whitish sallow-scented 

 blossoms, which attains the size of a good -sized 



D 



