202 MATABELE LAND. 



with at the time. She is supposed to have been 

 killed at last by a native by mistake. Brown had 

 had her eight or ten months. 



"September 2$tk. — Warm day, with breeze as 

 usual ... A day or two ago I heard, early in the 

 morning, the song of a bird often repeated, like a 

 fragmentary bit of a thrush's song. I fancy it is 

 made by the thrush here. 1 I certainly heard one 

 sing at the Makalaka kraal during the time I was 

 laid up there about a month ago. It sat on a big 

 tree near the waggon, just as an English thrush 

 would have done, and the song, though so frag- 

 mentary, rather reminded me of old times." 



With these extracts the present period of the 

 traveller's wanderings, so far as his Journal is con- 

 cerned, may be allowed to terminate. The weather, 

 which had up to this time continued cool at night, 

 began towards the end of September to be intensely 

 hot and oppressive, though still liable to considerable 

 variation ; so much so indeed that one day about the 

 middle of October the extreme cold brought the 

 swallows into the houses for shelter and protection. 



The Zambesi now abandoned, Frank Oates, on 

 the 8th of October, sent two boys with a message to 

 the king, asking for leave to hunt a few weeks on 

 the Shashani, which was readily accorded him ; but 

 he did not start immediately — his waggon required 

 some repairs, and he was not feeling well. Whilst 

 thus waiting a while longer, to recruit his health and 

 complete his preparations, two gentlemen — Messrs. 



1 The South African Thrush, Geocichla litsitsirufia. 



