23 2 MATABELE LAND. 



former of whom tried, it appears, to dissuade his late 

 employer from attempting the Zambesi at the pre- 

 sent season, a notion he was evidently by this time 

 seriously entertaining. 



Both these Dutchmen, as it chanced, were ac- 

 quainted with the spot near the Ramakwebani River 

 where the Bushmen, whose remains Frank Oates 

 had already made more than one fruitless endeavour 

 to obtain, had been massacred the year before. Still 

 anxious, if possible, to secure some of them, and 

 finding he was now within easy access of the spot, 

 he entered into an arrangement with Jacobs to con- 

 duct him there ; but again, as on former occasions, 

 when the time arrived for setting off, his guide was 

 not forthcoming. Jacobs, however, before leaving, 

 had fortunately on this occasion found a substitute in 

 the person of Van Rooyen, through whose guidance 

 the traveller was at last successful in his search, as 

 thus related in his Journal : — ' 



"November i$th. — Cloudy day. Old Piet left, 

 having deputed Van Rooyen to take me to the 

 bones, but wanting to go shares in the profit. He 

 left a boy with a sack ; but Van Rooyen seemed so 

 lukewarm, I let him send away the boy, and was 

 nearly letting him go too, but Dorehill joined us, 

 and at last we made a plan, persuading Van Rooyen 

 to take us to the place, whilst the waggons trekked 

 to the bis* branch of the Tati, where Stoffel was to 

 outspan. Van Rooyen seemed a bit nervous ; and 

 indeed was rather perplexed to find the place, which 

 however at last he did. It was a pretty spot. Some 



