180 MATABELE LAND. 



many Bushmen living in kraals and not wandering 

 in the bush, as I had an idea they were exclusively 

 a gipsy race, but it appears by no means so univer- 

 sally. The induna is an old Makalaka, who does 

 not talk the Matabele language ; but as it was not 

 till the day after our arrival that I saw him, I will 

 leave him for the present. 



" Presently an individual arrived in white men's 

 clothes, who spoke a little Dutch ; without ceremony 

 he jumped up on my waggon-box, and I concluded 

 he was the induna from his free and easy style. I 

 begged him to excuse me, as I was very busy buying 

 corn, after he had asked John a question or two, as, 

 'Was I going to the Zambesi ?' I never thought I 

 was to be stopped, and went on buying corn, and he 

 seemed glad to let me do so, till at last he came to 

 his final interview — for much of the time he had 

 been with Van Rooyen. He then told me that the 

 king had sent to stop all waggons from coming on, 

 on account of the sickness, but the induna himself 

 would be here the following morning. My feelings 

 this evening were ones of intense disappointment, 

 but still I hoped something from my interview with 

 the induna the next day. 



"June igth. — Very cloudy day, after a mild 

 night ; inclined to rain. The induna and a large 

 crowd here early. I took down the substance of 

 the induna's words ; they were thoroughly confirma- 

 tory of my worst fears. He said though they here 

 would not stop me by main force, the kraals ahead 

 would do so. They spoke as my friends. If I per- 



