NEW YEAR'S DAY. 93 



terest. After that came the preparations for the 

 Great Dance, which took place on the 8th of Janu- 

 ary. The following day dancing was again con- 

 tinued, though with much less ceremony, and the 

 10th was the day appointed for a state slaughtering 

 of cattle — one of the annual customs gone through 

 at this season. This over, the king took his depart- 

 ure next day for a neighbouring abode of royalty. 

 Commencing with the new year, the entries in the 

 traveller's Journal, with some particulars of the above 

 events, stand as follows : — 



"January 1st, 1874. — Intensely hot, as yesterday 

 was, and as they say it will be till the rain falls. 

 Sent bullocks to fetch wood for making a scherm, 

 having engaged John Jacobs and two Kaffirs by the 

 day. Rode over to Thomson's to dinner (two and 

 a half miles) and lost myself amongst the kopjes. 

 The fine hot day and the luxuriantly green country 

 and rapidly-growing Indian corn make it seem more 

 like June than New Year's Day to me. Petersen, 

 Fairbairn, and Mandy went to Thomson's in cart, 

 and we sat down to a most excellent dinner — roast 

 and boiled mutton, potatoes, cabbages, and turnips, 

 plum-pudding, and mince-pies. Such dinners as this 

 and my Christmas dinner at Petersen's are worthy 

 of notice, considering how few and far between they 

 are. Pleasant evening just before and after sunset ; 

 moon nearly full. 



"January 2d. — Fine hot day ; heat, however, by 

 no means so oppressive as it has been for the last 

 day or two, on account of a pleasant breeze. Un- 



