had　some　cargo　to　land　for　the　English　settlers；　one　or　two　of　whom　had
  started　a　trade　with　the　natives　and　with　parties　of　the　emigrant　Boers
  who　were　beginning　to　enter　the　territory　by　the　overland　route。　　Those
  days　I　passed　on　shore；　though　I　would　not　allow　Hans　to　accompany　me
  lest　he　should　desert；　employing　my　time　in　picking　up　all　the
  information　I　could　about　the　state　of　affairs；　especially　with
  reference　to　the　Zulus；　a　people　with　whom　I　was　destined　ere　long　to
  make　an　intimate　acquaintance。　　Needless　to　say；　I　inquired　both　from
  natives　and　from　white　men　whether　anything　was　known　of　the　fate　of
  Marais's　party；　but　no　one　seemed　even　to　have　heard　of　them。　　One　thing
  I　did　learn；　however；　that　my　old　friend；　Pieter　Retief；　with　a　large
  following；　had　crossed　the　Quathlamba　Mountains；　which　we　now　know　as
  the　Drakensberg；　and　entered　the　territory　of　Natal。　　Here　they　proposed
  to　settle　if　they　could　get　the　leave　of　the　Zulu　king；　Dingaan；　a
  savage　potentate　of　whom　and　of　whose　armies　everyone　seemed　to　live　in
  terror。
  On　the　third　morning；　to　my　great　relief；　for　I　was　terrified　lest　we
  should　be　delayed；　the　Seven　Stars　sailed　with　a　favouring　wind。　　Three
  days　later　we　entered　the　harbour　of　Delagoa；　a　sheet　of　water　many
  miles　long　and　broad。　　Notwithstanding　its　shallow　entrance；　it　is　the
  best　natural　port　in　Southeastern　Africa；　but　now；　alas！　lost　to　the
  English。
  Six　hours　later　we　anchored　opposite　a　sandbank　on　which　stood　a
  dilapidated　fort　and　a　dirty　settlement　known　as　Lorenzo　Marquez；　where
  the　Portuguese　kept　a　few　soldiers；　most　of　them　coloured。　　I　pass　over
  my　troubles　with　the　Customs；　if　such　they　could　be　called。　　Suffice　it
  to　say　that　ultimately　I　succeeded　in　landing　my　goods；　on　which　the
  duty　chargeable　was　apparently　enormous。　　This　I　did　by　distributing
  twenty…five　English　sovereigns　among　various　officials；　beginning　with
  the　acting…governor　and　ending　with　a　drunken　black　sweep　who　sat　in　a
  kind　of　sentry　box　on　the　quay。
  Early　next　morning　the　Seven　Stars　sailed　again；　because　of　some　quarrel
  with　the　officials；　who　threatened　to　seize　herI　forget　why。　　Her
  destination　was　the　East　African　ports　and；　I　think；　Madagascar；　where　a
  profitable　trade　was　to　be　done　in　carrying　cattle　and　slaves。　　Captain
  Richardson　said　he　might　be　back　at　Lorenzo　Marquez　in　two　or　three
  months'　time；　or　he　might　not。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　the　latter
  supposition　proved　correct；　for　the　Seven　Stars　was　lost　on　a　sandbank
  somewhere　up　the　coast；　her　crew　only　escaping　to　Mombasa　after　enduring
  great　hardships。
  Well；　she　had　served　my　turn；　for　I　heard　afterwards　that　no　other　ship
  put　into　the　Bay　for　a　whole　year　from　the　date　she　left　it。　　So　if　I
  had　not　caught　her　at　Port　Elizabeth　I　could　not　have　come　at　all；
  except；　of　course；　overland。　　This　at　best　must　have　taken　many　months；
  and　was　moreover　a　journey　that　no　man　could　enter　on　alone。
  Now　I　get　back　to　my　story　again。
  There　was　no　inn　at　Lorenzo　Marquez。　　Through　the　kindness　of　one　of　his
  native　or　half…breed　wives；　who　could　talk　a　little　Dutch；　I　managed；
  however；　to　get　a　lodging　in　a　tumble…down　house　belonging　to　a
  dissolute　person　who　called　himself　Don　Jose　Ximenes；　but　who　was　really
  himself　a　half…breed。　　Here　good　fortune　befriended　me。　　Don　Jose；　when
  sober；　was　a　trader　with　the　natives；　and　a　year　before　had　acquired
  from　them　two　good　buck　wagons。　　Probably　they　were　stolen　from　some
  wandering　Boers　or　found　derelict　after　their　murder　or　death　by　fever。
  These　wagons　he　was　only　too　glad　to　sell　for　a　song。　　I　think　I　gave
  him　twenty　pounds　English　for　the　two；　and　thirty　more　for　twelve　oxen
  that　he　had　bought　at　the　same　time　as　the　wagons。　　They　were　fine
  beasts　of　the　Afrikander　breed；　that　after　a　long　rest　had　grown　quite
  fat　and　strong。
  Of　course　twelve　oxen　were　not　enough　to　draw　two　wagons；　or　even　one。
  Therefore；　hearing　that　there　were　natives　on　the　mainland　who　possessed
  plenty　of　cattle；　I　at　once　gave　out　that　I　was　ready　to　buy；　and　pay
  well　in　blankets；　cloth；　beads　and　so　forth。　　The　result　was　that　within
  two　days　I　had　forty　or　fifty　to　choose　from；　small　animals　of　the　Zulu
  character　and；　I　should　add；　unbroken。　　Still　they　were　sturdy　and　used
  to　that　veld　and　its　diseases。　　Here　it　was　that　my　twelve　trained
  beasts　came　in。　　By　putting　six　of　them　to　each　wagon；　two　as　fore…　and
  two　as　after…oxen；　and　two　in　the　middle；　Hans　and　I　were　able　to　get
  the　other　ten　necessary　to　make　up　a　team　of　sixteen　under　some　sort　of
  control。
  Heavens！　how　we　worked　during　the　week　or　so　which　went　by　before　it　was
  possible　for　me　to　leave　Lorenzo　Marquez。　　What　with　mending　up　and
  loading　the　wagons；　buying　and　breaking　in　the　wild　oxen；　purchasing
  provisions；　hiring　native　servantsof　whom　I　was　lucky　enough　to　secure
  eight　who　belonged　to　one　of　the　Zulu　tribes　and　desired　to　get　back　to
  their　own　country；　whence　they　had　wandered　with　some　Boers；　I　do　not
  think　that　we　slept　more　than　two　or　three　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four。
  But；　it　may　be　asked；　what　was　my　aim；　whither　went　I；　what　inquiries
  had　I　made？　　To　answer　the　last　question　first；　I　had　made　every
  possible　inquiry；　but　with　little　or　no　result。　　Marie's　letter　had　said
  that　they　were　encamped　on　the　bank　of　the　Crocodile　River；　about　fifty
  miles　from　Delagoa　Bay。　　I　asked　everyone　I　met　among　the
  Portuguesewho；　after　all；　were　not　manyif　they　had　heard　of　such　an
  encampment　of　emigrant　Boers。　　But　these　Portuguese　appeared　to　have
  heard　nothing；　except　my　host；　Don　Jose；　who　had　a　vague　recollection　of
  somethinghe　could　not　remember　what。
  The　fact　was　at　this　time　the　few　people　who　lived　at　Lorenzo　Marquez
  were　too　sodden　with　liquor　and　other　vices　to　take　any　interest　in
  outside　news　that　did　not　immediately　concern　them。　　Moreover；　the
  natives　whom　they　flogged　and　oppressed　if　they　were　their　servants；　or
  fought　with　if　they　were　not；　told　them　little；　and　almost　nothing　that
  was　true；　for　between　the　two　races　there　was　an　hereditary　hate
  stretching　back　for　generations。　　So　from　the　Portuguese　I　gained　no
  information。
  Then　I　turned　to　the　Kaffirs；　especially　to　those　from　whom　I　had　bought
  the　cattle。　　_They_　had　heard　that　some　Boers　reached　the　banks　of　the
  Crocodile　moons　agohow　many　they　could　not　tell。　　But　that　country；
  they　said；　was　under　the　rule　of　a　chief　who　was　hostile　to　them；　and
  killed　any　of　their　people　who　ventured　thither。　　Therefore　they　knew
  nothing　for　certain。　　Still；　one　of　them　stated　that　a　woman　whom　he　had
  bought　as　a　slave；　and　who　had　passed　through　the　district　in　question　a
  few　weeks　before；　told　him　that　someone　had　told　her　that　these　Boers
  were　all　dead　of　sickness。　　She　added　that　she　had　seen　their　wagon　caps
  from　a　distance；　so；　if　they　were　dead；　〃their　wagons　were　still　alive。〃
  I　asked　to　see　this　woman；　but　the　native　refused　to　produce　her。　　After
  a　great　deal　of　talk；　however；　he　offered　to　sell　her　to　me；　saying　that
  he　was　tired　of　her。　　So　I　bargained　with　the　man　and　finally　agreed　for
  her　purchase　for　three　pounds　of　copper　wire　and　eight　yards　of　blue
  cloth。　　Next　morning　she　was　produced；　an　extremely　ugly　person　with　a
  large；　flat　nose；　who　came　from　somewhere　in　the　interior　of　Africa；
  having；　I　gathered；　been　taken　captive　by　Arabs　and　sold　from　hand　to
  hand。　　Her　name；　as　near　as　I　can　pronounce　it；　was　Jeel。
  I　had　great　difficulty　in　establishing　communication　with　her；　but
  ultimately　found　that　one　of　my　newly　hired　Kaffirs　could　understand
  something　of　her　language。　　Even　then　it　was　hard　to　make　her　talk；　for
  she　had　never　seen　a　white　man；　and　thought　I　had　bought　her　for　some
  dreadful　purpose　or　other。　　However；　when　she　found　that　she　was　kindly
  treated；　she　opened　her　lips　and　told　me　the　same　story　that　her　late
  master　had　repeated；　neither　more　nor　less。　　Finally　I　asked　her　whether
  she　could　guide　me　to　the　place　where　she　had　seen　the　〃live　wagons。〃
  She　answered：　〃Oh；　yes；〃　as　she　had　travelled　many　roads　and　never
  forgot　any　of　them。
  This；　of　course；　was　all　I　wanted　from　the　woman；　who；　I　may　add；
  ultimately　gave　me　a　good　deal　of　trouble。　　The　poor　creature　seemed
  never　to　have　experienced　kindness；　and　her　gratitude　for　the　little　I
  showed　her　was　so　intense　that　it　became　a　nuisance。　　She　followed　me
  about　everywhere；　trying　to　do　me　service　in　her　savage　way；　and　even
  attempted　to　seize　my　food　and　chew　it　before　I　put　it　into　my　own
  mouthto　save　me　the　trouble；　I　suppose。　　Ultimately　I　married　her；
  somewhat　against　her　will；　I　fear；　to　one　of　the　hired　Kaffirs；　who　made
  her　a　very　good　husband；　although　when　he　was　dismissed　from　my　service
  she　wanted　to　leave　him　and　follow　me。
  At　length；　under　the　guidance　of　this　woman；　Jeel；　we　made　a　start。
  There　were　but　fifty　miles　to　go；　a　distance　that　on　a　fair　road　any
  good　horse