68 MATABELE LAND. 



bisi River, where some boys herding cattle brought 

 us sour milk curdled for sale, which was very good. 

 During the morning we passed some very striking- 

 looking trees, leafless, but covered with large clusters 

 of bright scarlet flowers on straight, brittle, thorny 

 stalks. 1 At a distance they looked like naked trees 

 covered with scarlet berries, such as one sees in 

 winter at home. Before night we went on four 

 miles farther, and stopped one trek, they say, from 

 our destination." 



At ten o'clock the following morning the Inkwin- 

 kwisi, a larger river than the Bembisi, with plenty 

 of water in it and a sandy bed, was crossed, and a 

 halt made upon its banks. Here was Intlhangini, 

 the kraal where the traders were, Inyati itself being 

 a short way off. Thither a messenger was at once 

 despatched to ascertain what success the king's man, 

 who had gone on in advance, had had in obtaining 

 bearers. Soon afterwards this man presented him- 

 self at the waggon, saying that the boys required for 

 the journey would be forthcoming the following 

 morning. When the day arrived, however, they 

 were not brought in sufficient numbers to be of any 

 service, and the start had to be postponed a day or 

 two longer, pending the results of further efforts. 

 The following is the day's entry in the Journal : — 



" September 29/^. — Fine warm day ; heavy rain 

 in the evening. The king's man came again ; this 

 time accompanied by the induna of the kraal (I sup- 

 pose only the acting induna, as the real one is the 



1 Probably a species of Erythrina. 



