t the spot where he and I had
parted, and I knew not how soon he might return; therefore it was very
desirable that we should reach that spot without delay. After
considering the matter, therefore, I finally decided to cache all the
ivory which I had with me, abandon the pelts, and go forward to the
rendezvous with nothing in the wagon save the "truck" which I had
brought up with me as presents and for trading, the ammunition, and the
remains of our stock of provisions, which by this time was becoming
pretty well depleted. And this I did, arriving at the arranged meeting
place three days later, without suffering any further loss.

It was well on in the afternoon of the tenth day after Piet's departure
when he turned up again, dusty, leg-weary, and somewhat footsore, but
otherwise not very much the worse for wear. He reported that the
country was pretty densely populated, the kraals being very extensive,
and dotted over the country at intervals of, in some cases, not more
than twenty miles apart, the first kraal at which he arrived being
within ten miles of the river bank. He described the Mashona as being a
very fine race of people, almost if not quite equal in physique to the
Zulus, but of a much more suspicious and unreliable character than the
latter, and apparently exceedingly averse to the intrusion of strangers.
Nevertheless, upon stating the nature of his mission, he had been
passed on from kraal to kraal until finally he had arrived at Gwanda,
the Place (or town) of King Lomalindela, which, it appeared, was
situated among a rather curious group of mountains, five days' march
from the river. Lomalindela, it seemed, had received my envoy with a
very considerable display of austerity, and had submitted him to a most
rigorous cross-questioning; but, luckily, the Tottie had nothing to
conceal, and was therefore able to tell a perfectly straightforward
story, which, as Piet believed, had not only allayed the monarch's
suspicions, but had also aroused in him a very lively curiosity to see
the white man and his wonderful fire tubes which slew from afar. The
result of the mission was therefore, on the whole, quite satisfactory,
the king having not only accorded me permission to enter his country and
kill game in it, but also entrusted my messenger with an invitation to
me to visit him at Gwanda, and remain there as long as I pleased. This
being the case, and the river having fallen nearly a foot since Piet and
I h