CHAPTER V. 



Stay at Gubuluwayo — New Year's Day — The Great Dance — Cattle 

 slaughtered — Departure of the king ; the royal procession — A 

 dispute referred to him — Lobengula's court. 



Frank Oates remained at Gubuluwayo or in its 

 immediate neighbourhood some time — from Decem- 

 ber 5th 1873 to January 26th T874. This was 

 considerably longer than he had originally intended, 

 but he was detained by the weather, which, besides 

 being close and oppressive, was for a long time 

 very wet and unfavourable for travelling, and was 

 also anxious to be present at the Great Dance 

 in the early part of January. After this some 

 trouble with his servants still further delayed him, 

 as the case of one of them had to be taken be- 

 fore the king. He was able, however, meantime 

 to make some additions to his collections of birds 

 and other objects of natural history, though owing 

 to the state of the weather he attempted little 

 hunting ; indeed near the kraal large game was in- 

 variably scarce and wild. 



The incidents of the first part of his stay — until 

 the end of December — were apparently of little in- 



