go away from this, it will have to be by water, I think, unless
we can buy trek-cattle," said Meyer, looking at the labouring oxen with
a doubtful eye.

"Why?" asked Mr. Clifford anxiously.

"Because several of those beasts have been bitten by tetsefly, like my
horse, and the poison is beginning to work. I thought so last night, but
now I am sure. Look at their eyes. It was down in that bit of bush veld
eight days ago. I said that we ought not to camp there."

At this moment they came to the crest of the ridge, and on its further
side saw the wonderful ruins of Bambatse close at hand. In front of
them stood a hill jutting out, as it were into the broad waters of the
Zambesi river, which, to a great extent, protected it upon three sides.
The fourth, that opposite to them, except at one place where a kind of
natural causeway led into the town, was also defended by Nature, since
here for more than fifty feet in height the granite rock of the base of
the hill rose sheer and unclimbable. On the mount itself, that in all
may have covered eight or ten acres of ground, and surrounded by a deep
donga or ditch, were three rings of fortifications, set one above the
other, mighty walls which, it was evident, had been built by no modern
hand. Looking at them Benita could well understand how it came about
that the poor fugitive Portuguese had chosen this as their last place of
refuge, and were overcome at length, not by the thousands of savages who
followed and surrounded them, but by hunger. Indeed, the place seemed
impregnable to any force that was not armed with siege guns.

On the hither side of this natural fosse, which, doubtless, in ancient
times had been filled with water led from the Zambesi, stood the village
of the Bambatse Makalanga, a collection of seventy or eighty wretched
huts, round, like those of their forefathers, but built of mud and
thatch. About them lay the gardens, or square fields, that were well
cultivated, and at this season rich with ripening corn. Benita, however,
could see no cattle, and concluded, therefore, that these must be kept
on the hill for safety, and within its walls.

Down the rough road they lumbered, and through the village, where the
few women and children stared at them in a frightened way. Then they
came to the causeway, which, on its further side, was blocked with
thorns and rough stones taken from the ruins. While they waited for
these to be removed by some men who now appeared, Be