17° MATABELE LAND. 



going by Gubuluwayo — he would proceed pretty 

 direct northwards, passing through the country of 

 the Makalakas, who are subject to the Matabele and 

 hold the key to the Zambesi country by this approach. 

 Before crossing the boundaries of these people, it is 

 necessary for travellers to have first obtained per- 

 mission from the king to proceed, and such a per- 

 mission Frank Oates distinctly had ; yet, in spite of 

 all remonstrances on his part, the Makalakas refused 

 to let him pass, thinking, perhaps, to reap some 

 profit from his discomfiture, or, it may be, that 

 Lobengula would in reality be no worse pleased if 

 he were stopped. Indeed the traveller did not 

 himself entirely exonerate the king from blame, but 

 suspected at one time he was playing a double game 

 — on the one hand giving him leave to proceed 

 to the Zambesi, whilst on the other purposely 

 neglecting to send the needful instructions to his 

 subjects to let him pass. The king was anxious to 

 encourage a certain number of traders in his country, 

 but may have looked with suspicion on one whose 

 objects were less intelligible to him. 



At all events, be this as it may, it is perfectly 

 certain that these Makalakas threw every possible 

 obstacle in the way of his advance — and not once only, 

 but each time he reached their boundaries- — whilst 

 several traders, going and coming, were permitted 

 to proceed upon their journey, and the final fatal 

 issue of his expedition to the Zambesi was practically 

 the result of the behaviour of these people. It is 

 true that other circumstances, irrespective of their 



