170 
THE NEW AFRICA 
expedition there should also be at least several exceptionally 
good shots to kill game, and also by their prowess to impress any 
natives en route with a due regard for the possible consequences 
of interference. 
Another important fact which the traveller must study, 
is to have no natives in the expedition belonging to hostile 
tribes, or those speaking the language of a country the tribe 
has been at war with; for whenever disputes occur between 
your men and the natives, a matter of almost daily occurrence, 
over such trivial affairs as buying corn, etc., the former 
are sure to use the offensive language to annoy the natives, 
in retaliation for insults usually freely indulged in on these 
occasions. This stupid behaviour naturally gives the oppor¬ 
tunity to the natives to accuse the boys using the offensive 
language of being spies, and it will take all* one’s influence and 
power to prevent their being killed; for this unhappy contre¬ 
temps usually excites the dormant bloodthirstiness to immedi¬ 
ate activity, causing no end of excitement and instant united 
action on part of the people one is anxious to propitiate, and 
supplies them with an excusable reason for killing the offenders. 
And should such killing be found an easy matter, there is no 
telling where the affair may end, for in this case the natives, 
always armed, take care to be well spread about in the camp, 
under the pretence of talking or dealing, which immediately offers 
the best opportunity for a hand-to-hand mSlee, with the express 
benefit of a surprise in their favour, when the advantage due to 
long range shooting to keep an enemy at a distance is nullified. 
To guard against such possibilities we always warned our 
boys to be careful; and conducted purchases at a little distance 
from the actual camp, keeping our guns all loaded for possible 
emergencies. But Paul and one of our boys, a Makalaka named 
Styrman, from the borders of Matabeleland, who spoke the 
language of the Matabele, in spite of our warnings often derided 
the natives in that language, knowing well what terror was 
connected with the name of marauding Amatabele hordes, 
though these had never actually penetrated to this distance. 
