COMMENCEMENT OF THE RAINS. 71 



reach the Zambesi you come to the outposts of the 

 Portuguese traders from the east coast, but between 

 these points are no Europeans settled. The rain is 

 beginning, though the regular rains have not set in 

 yet. It is after the first heavy rains that fever begins 

 to annoy people on the Zambesi, though generally, 

 I believe, even then only slightly ; but after the next 

 downfall — when there is much rain and the rain 

 is beginning to dry up, about January, February, 

 and March — the really bad season sets in. How- 

 ever, I am now avoiding even the former risk, and 

 where I am going I shall be so near here all the 

 time that I can return almost when I choose. I 

 don't exactly know where I am going, but it will be 

 somewhere in a north or north-easterly direction 

 from here. 



" I hear that Cruickshank, my agent at Bamang- 

 wato, is now at the king's town, but I am three days' 

 journey from there, and he will shortly be returning 

 to Bamangwato. Fairbairn, his agent at the king's 

 town, will however in all probability be there when 

 I return, and here I am in good hands too, so that I 

 have friends all along the road, and letters always 

 come and go as surely, if more slowly, than where 

 there is a regular post, for waggons are constantly 

 coming and going, and everybody helps everybody 

 else in this part of the world. I have been pressed 

 into the service as postman myself before now. 

 Only delays must be expected and are often very 

 vexatious." 



On the 7th of October Frank Oates started on 



