THE ' BLA CK KING. ' 1 1 1 



" Had supper on Australian meat in Fairbairn's 

 waggon. Rain came on, and I heard showers during 

 the night. When we left the king he chaffed John, 

 and said he looked weak as if he was hungry. Last 

 night John had asked for meat, and he said he had 

 no beef and his sheep were poor. He seems really 

 not to be killing oxen at present. Fairbairn has 

 told Nini that we are eating tinned fish. Fish is 

 held in utter abomination by these people, and Nini 

 said her brother ought not to let us eat it. Fair- 

 bairn says they used, when they wanted meat, to rig 

 up a dummy fishing-rod, and march oft with it, taking 

 care to pass in sight of the king, and the moment he 

 suspected fishing, he would send them a large piece 

 of meat. 



" One sees all shades of colour in these people. 

 The Makalakas are much darker as a rule than 

 the Matabele, who are usually coppery red or some- 

 times yellow. The king however is black, and, 

 I believe, about as black as any of his race, and 

 far more so than most. He deserves his epithet of 

 ' black king.' The dogs are a great source of fear 

 at present. They are constantly attacking people, 

 and lately half, if not altogether, killed an induna. 

 Fairbairn says the king showed him his own trousers 

 torn the other day, as proof that even their master 

 was not exempt. 



"January 23^. — Wretched rainy and gusty morn- 

 ing. Nini in Fairbairn's waggon, as she was also 

 a good deal yesterday. She is very fond of him, as 

 of other white men ; and is said to wish to marry 



