•244 
AFRICAN HUNTING. 
yesterday, well armed with assegais, axes, bows and 
arrows, and two guns, saying that I must not hunt in 
their country until I first paid them for leave to do 
so ; and that if I did not do so, and persisted in 
hunting, they would bring a command against me 
and kill us all. My fellows talked very big, es¬ 
pecially Auguste—a large powerful Kaffir, a Bequina, 
or Bechuana, one of Sechele’s— saying that if they 
wanted to fight they must come on ; we were quite 
ready for them at any moment, having plenty of 
guns and powder. I said nothing, but let things 
take their course, and merely ordered the wagon to 
go on, and left the Bamangwatos to do whatever they 
thought best. At night, I served out plenty of 
powder and bullets, a watch was kept, and every 
man had his gun handy. My fellows talk largely, 
but what they would do in case of an actual skirmish 
I don’t know. I don’t place much confidence in one 
of them, nor do I fear the Kaffirs, unless they can 
catch me unprepared—and I and my gun are con¬ 
stant companions. 
This river appears of immense breadth, nor do I 
see any possible way of crossing it, as I do not know 
where the stream runs to, and, as far as the eye can 
reach, there is nothing to be seen but reeds so tall 
and thick that it is impossible to force your way 
through them. There is safe harbour here for all 
the game and wild animals in South Africa. I never 
saw anything like it, and my Hottentots say it is the 
same all tire way to Lake Ngami, about thirteen days 
