70 MATABELE LAND. 



ber 30th) was spent in packing and arranging things 

 for the walk to the Falls, and it was not till the day 

 after this that the induna reappeared, now stating 

 that he could not get bearers. The natives, it is 

 likely enough, were afraid of fever on the Zambesi 

 at this season and did not want to go, but it after- 

 wards appeared that the induna of the kraal and the 

 headman sent by the king had made no proper 

 efforts to obtain the staff required for the journey. 

 The upshot of the matter was that the Zambesi had 

 to be abandoned, and the traveller obtained instead 

 permission from the king to go for a few weeks' 

 hunting into the country to the north-east, where 

 good sport was likely to be had. Before starting 

 on this expedition he wrote home from Inyati, on 

 October 5th, as follows : — 



" You will not be much surprised to hear that I 

 have had to give up the Zambesi. I got here just 

 in time to do it, if the carriers had been forthcoming, 

 but the people in authority threw so many difficulties 

 in my way, that I had to send back to the king, and 

 so much valuable time has been lost that I have 

 given up the expedition. I am, however, going a 

 little way into the country with my waggon, and 

 shall probably be a month or two before I am back 

 again here. 



" There are three Englishmen living here, trading. 

 Two of them, in whose house I am now writing, are 

 very obliging to me. This is a mission-station, but 

 there is no missionary here now. It is the last post 

 of white men in this part of the world. When you 



