CHAPTER II 
Franz’s Matabele tale of wrongs—Leave Shoshong—Granite formation—The 
Makarikari lake—Sport at the lake—Baobab trees—Formation at Nata 
river—Game on the road—Klamachanyaana pools—Elephants empty 
Jurua pan. 
Franz Selous, as he was generally called, possessed a huge 
fund of hunting anecdotes, which he used to tell in a declama¬ 
tory style, grandiose in magnificence ; and many a night, without 
invitation, he would commence a recital of his adventures, at 
first apparently speaking lowly to the fire; then, as he warmed 
to his subject, and found we were listening, he would rise and 
cast off his clothes one after another, until, standing with one 
garment only by the warm glow of the fire, his yellow skin 
glistening in the light, all his shapely limbs aquiver with excite¬ 
ment, he would relate some stirring hunting experience, or 
recount his maltreatment by the Matabele king, of whom he 
stood in great awe, till all his listeners were deeply interested 
by his marvellous descriptive powers and his command of the 
African Dutch language, which for graphic description of veldt 
scenery and deeds surpasses any tongue on earth. Thus he told 
us of his exile from Matabeleland— 
‘ You must know the Matabele king, Lobengula, is a savage 
king—a man at whose every word his people tremble; but he was 
very kind to all white men, and especially to my master, Selous, 
whom he loved, because he never lied to him as some other 
hunters did. He always said to Selous, “Go you and shoot 
where I will not allow the others to hunt, but you must not look 
in the ground for gold. For if gold is found in my country, the 
white people will come and drive me out.” 
‘ Now it happened there were many sea-cows—hippopotami— 
