HALT ON THE INK WIST. 185 



trader had been stopped on their way to the king's 

 town at the Inkwisi River, where the first Mata- 

 bele kraal is, and were there when I came up. 1 

 I got on very well up to the time of my reaching 

 these waggons, and stayed a couple of days at 

 them with Dorehill, who was awaiting further news 

 from the king's. On leaving the waggons I met the 

 messenger he had sent to the king returning with 

 a message from the latter to Dorehill that he was 

 to ride on and see him. I went on, but had great 

 difficulty in keeping my boys from turning back. 

 However, I explained to them that if they kept with 

 me there was no likelihood of their being hurt, as 

 no white man's servants ever were interfered with, 

 whereas, if they turned back, they might be killed. 

 They would, of course, have liked me to turn back 

 with them, but seeing I was determined to go on, 

 they thought it was their best chance to remain in 

 my company. I of course knew there was not 

 much fear of anything being done to them as long 

 as they were with me, as the king holds everything 

 belonging to white men sacred, and his people dare 

 not commit any violence on Kaffirs protected by a 

 white man. The fact is my boys were principally 

 Makalakas, who are slaves to the Matabele, and 

 whose lives are considered worthless. 



" One night I was very angry with them, for I 

 had been riding on in advance, and kept on riding 



1 Mr. Dorehill had been met by Frank Oates previously at 

 Bamangwato, and subsequently accompanied him part of the way 

 on his final journey to the Zambesi. 



