INCIDENTS DURING THE MARCH. 211 
sergeant and two privates (if we may call them so) 
being in constant attendance, leading the way or at 
my heels. They were Mariboo's chief men, fine fel- 
lows, very polite in lending a hand or even bringing 
water to wash off the pair of black boots of mud I 
had got in coming through the bogs. The marches 
varied from 9 to 11 miles daily, occupying from 7^ 
a.m. till noon, or later, according to circumstances. 
If it was a populous country, and our long line 
passed through a grove having dwellings inside it, 
more time was taken. Each hut was entered and 
ransacked ; cautiously a Seedee or Waganda, musket 
or spear all ready, would go to the door and call, 
" Ho, ho ! " and, gaining admission, come out with 
what he had picked up — tobacco, or a good bark-cloth. 
Every house passed was in this way plundered, while 
the inhabitants watched us in the distance. Travelling 
was most disagreeable, and sometimes our men suffered 
for their rashness. The light-hearted gallant little 
Mariboo came for the aid of two guns one day, because 
one of his men had been wounded on entering a hut. 
My Seedees were up in an instant, ready to leave the 
baggage and myself to take care of each other, but no 
more than the number asked for went, and they re- 
turned without a combat. At another camp we were 
told to have our guns ready in the morning, as the 
natives were up in arms ; a boy amongst them had 
been, the previous night, captured, and ransomed for 
two goats and four bark-cloths. Not understanding 
that Mariboo was the entire cause of such injustice, 
I ordered the guns of the Seedees to be filled with 
shot-sized pebbles instead of bullets ; but we did not 
require to fire them. Even my men became as bad 
