Transvaal. This river was too wide and deep to be
forded, but at the spot where they had struck it, there was a large
native kraal. Here Mr Harvey, who had many times before followed the
same route to this spot, was warmly welcomed, and preparations were made
for effecting a crossing. The oxen were first taken across; these were
steered by ropes attached to their horns and fastened to a canoe, which
paddled ahead of them. The beasts were delighted to enter the water
after their long dusty journey, and most of them, after reaching the
opposite bank, lay down for a long time in the shallow water at the
edge. Most of the stores were carried across in canoes. Inflated skins
were then fastened to the waggons, and these also were towed across the
stream by canoes. The passage had commenced at early morning, and by
nightfall the whole of the caravan and its contents were safely across
the stream.

"We are now," Mr Harvey said, "in the Matabele country; the natives are
for the most part friendly, as they know the advantage they derive from
the coming of English traders, but there are portions of the tribe
altogether hostile to us, and the greatest caution and care have to be
exercised in passing through some portions of the country. To the east
lies a land said to be very rich in gold, and there can be little doubt
that it is so, for we frequently find natives who have traded with that
country in possession of gold-dust, but they allow no white men to pass
their frontier on any pretext whatever. They have become aware in some
way how great is the value of gold in the eyes of Europeans, and fear
that if the wealth of the country in that metal were but known a vast
emigration of Europeans would take place, which would assuredly sooner
or later end in the driving out or extirpation of the present
inhabitants of the land."

The news which they had learned at the village where they had crossed,
of the state of affairs among the tribes of the north, was not
encouraging. The natives said that there had been much fighting. Not
only had eruptions taken place with tribes still further north, but the
Matabele had also been quarrelling among themselves.

"This is bad news indeed," Mr Harvey said; "these tribal wars make
journeying very difficult; for, although none of the tribes may be
hostile to Europeans at ordinary times, they view them with distrust
when coming from a tribe with whom they are at war. In peace-time, too,