enty to eat; I wanted no clothes, I
could wrap myself in an _ingubu_ (blanket or kaross) made of jackals'
skins, which kept me warm in the cold nights; I had no work to do that I
didn't like. There was plenty of game to shoot or trap; and, except
during a short rainy season, the climate was as fine as any in the
world. What more pleasant life than this could I lead anywhere? In
England I should be at a school, having to learn a lot of things in
which I took no interest; perhaps, if I did not work properly, I might
be caned, I, who was now a chief, and if any man struck me should
probably use my assagy against him. There were two sides to the
question of returning to civilisation. I had read also that my uncle
passed seven or eight hours a day in a dark office in London, in a place
crowded round by other houses, so that you could scarcely see the sun,
and where there were so many men that you scarcely ever breathed
anything but second-hand air. Still, there was the longing always
coming over me to see my father, and to tell him that I was happy, and
if he did not mind I should prefer remaining where I was. But the
war-spirit had broken out, and every one, even to the smallest _intombi_
(girl) was dancing about, singing war-songs. As was the custom with
these tribes, a great war-dance was arranged; all the fighting men, in
full war-dress, assembled from miles round. We mustered more than five
thousand fighting men, besides about three thousand boys able to throw
an assagy, and assist at critical moments, when the enemy were broken or
too powerful at any particular point.

I shall always remember the war-dance which now took place; it was a
sight only to be seen in the wilderness, and where civilisation has made
no progress. The men assembled formed a ring three and four deep, and
sat quietly on the ground for more than an hour, each with his shield in
front of him. At a given signal we all started to our feet, with a
shout; then, imitating the movements of an old chief who entered the
centre of the ring, we beat the ground, first with one foot, then with
the other; then, jumping in the air, came to the ground with both feet
at once, making the earth shake as we did so. After we had continued
these proceedings for some time, a young bull was brought into the ring
and turned loose, three young chiefs entering at the same time. They
shouted and beat their shields, so as to alarm the bull, and then closed
on him,