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ground, yet, according to Dubois' account, only tliose of 
native manufacture are accepted as the price of a wife. 
July 2^th. Dubois and I started early to hunt up the 
buffalo spoor, leaving E., with Kemp and the bearers, to 
follow at their leisure ; but we might have saved ourselves 
the trouble, as we found the herd had crossed the river in 
the night, followed by two or three lions. The chances of 
coming up with them were small, so we gave up the chase 
and went back to join the others. "We did a good day's 
march, walking from nine o'clock till past two ; E. hugging 
the remains of the water melon as she sat upon Jack," 
thinking it too precious to leave behind. Crossed another 
stream called the TJmtasena, which was nearly dry, and 
pitched our camp at its junction with the Oliphant. In 
the night there was a considerable alarm caused by the 
unwelcome appearance of some lions, who, regardless of 
the fires, came right into our camp, evidently having 
evil designs against poor old ^^Jack" and the ponies. 
Fortunately a Caffre saw them and fired a gun which 
frightened them off. I slept so soundly that I knew 
nothing of it till the next morning ; but there plainly to 
be seen was the spoor of three lions, who had crept up the 
bank from the river and passed close by our tent. Shot 
an enormous vulture measuring seven feet from tip to tip 
of the wings. We passed close by some deserted huts, 
which had been vacated two years before, the king of the 
country having sent a party of armed men to kill off all 
the people of the kraal. An old man, one of the few that 
escaped alive, has lately come to our camp on the look out 
for any spare meat that we may kill. In this case the 
village had incurred the royal displeasure by declining to 
send the number of picks demanded as tribute, perhaps 
through inability ; but the anger of the chief or one of 
his great men is easily incurred, and consequently a 
massacre of this kind is not an uncommon occurrence in 
