back I did not see you again." Now, the
most remarkable thing about this occurrence is that, by carefully
questioning the child, I was at length forced to the conclusion that it
had happened at the precise moment when I was beholding the vision
conjured up for me by Mafuta, the Basuto nyanga.

We inspanned with the arrival of the dawn on the following morning, and,
pushing the zebras to their utmost capacity, swept down through Zululand
into Natal, and thence more leisurely through Kaffraria to Cape Colony,
arriving in Somerset East on the seventeenth day after our departure
from Umgungundhlovu, to the amazement and delight of Henderson and a
host of other friends who had long given me up as "wiped out". I told
them as much of my story as I deemed fit, though not all of it by any
means; neither did I ask anybody's advice, for my wanderings in the
wilds had given me so much self-reliance that I felt quite able to
depend upon my own judgment. In the first place I negotiated with the
manager of the local bank for the exchange of five hundred pounds' worth
of gold for coin, and then, learning that there were ships loading for
England at Algoa Bay, I installed 'Mfuni, Piet, Jan, and 'Ngulubi on my
estate, leaving the horses and zebras with them to be looked after
during my absence, packed up my belongings, and transferred Nell and
myself to Port Elizabeth, where I engaged passages for us both on a ship
which was on the point of sailing for home, leaving us just time to
procure our outfit prior to our departure.

A pleasant voyage of a little under three months ended in our finding
ourselves in London in the early part of February, 1839, and although we
found the climate of England exceedingly cold and unpleasant after the
brilliant sunshine and warmth of South Africa, we managed to enjoy
ourselves thoroughly during the ensuing two months. Then, with Nell's
cordial approval, I put her to a first-rate school at Bath, where she
remained until her eighteenth birthday, emerging therefrom a very
beautiful, accomplished, and lovable young woman.

Meanwhile, having disposed of Nell for the time being, I next turned my
attention to the disposal of my treasure. The Bank of England took all
my gold from me at its current value, thus placing me in immediate
possession of abundant funds; and eventually, before returning to South
Africa, I succeeded in finding a firm of jewellers who were prepared,
for a consideration, to undertake