THE VELDT ON FIRE. 193 



waggons and began interrogating us. On hearing 

 that we were going to the Zambesi, he began to 

 leap and dance about like a madman, brandishing a 

 battle-axe. I thought it a case of temporary insanity, 

 brought on by smoking 'dagga,' 1 but it appeared 

 from his statement he had been sent from the king 

 to the Makalakas, with a fresh order to stop waggons, 

 and was now going on to Tati, to tell white men 

 there the same tale, 



" I had difficulty in keeping the dogs from attack- 

 ing him, and once he brought his battle-axe within a 

 few inches of Stoffel's skull. He became quiet, how- 

 ever, when Makabo (Monyama's son) 2 told him the 

 facts of the case, and said I could go on, but my 

 boys, who were subjects of the king, would be killed, 

 and if I went on I had better pay them off here. I 

 therefore decided on sending to the king, — first, to ask 

 for further security for my boys, second, for leave to 

 take Stoffel with me ; and decided to send off Mon- 

 yama's son, with two others, with a letter to the king 

 and another to Thomson. 



" At night there was a tremendous conflagration 

 raging close to us. It was a splendid sight, but 

 made me a little nervous. However, it was princi- 

 pally on the other side of the road, and died before 

 it came quite close. The effect of the burning trees 

 and long line of fire was very fine. One tree in 



1 A form of Common Hemp {Cannabis sativa) — the bhang of 

 India — much used for smoking by the natives, and known by the Dutch 

 as dagga; the two ^'s pronounced like ch in the Scotch word loch. 



2 The man appointed by the king. 



O 



