he
had received from the Caffres, for freeing them of the Bushmen. He said
that Caffres, as young as I was, were never made counsellors or had the
privileges of men; but the two things I had done, viz., trapping the
leopard and shooting the Bushmen, were so extraordinary that the tribe
had agreed that I was to be made a chief. The rank which a chief holds
among these people is of more importance than any civilised men could
understand. The rank gave me command and authority over all men who
were not chiefs. I could order them about, make them do work for me,
whilst I need do nothing. I thanked Inyati for what he had done, and
said I hoped to again show him what my rifle would do, in case there was
any occasion for it, and that I believed I could kill an elephant or a
lion with it, as easily as I had killed the Bushmen. He replied that
"we should see."

On leaving Inyati I took my assagies and walked out to the hill where my
late companions Inyoni and Tembile were watching the cattle, and sat
down with them, telling them of my having been made a counsellor and
chief. These boys were quite excited at the news and very pleased, and
we sat talking some time, till we noticed that the cattle were alarmed
by something and seemed uneasy. We ran up to them, and then saw quite a
small calf on the ground, and something shiny all round it. In an
instant I saw it was an immense snake, as thick as my body. Seizing an
assagy, I drove it into the snake's head, and then, withdrawing it,
stabbed it again in the body. The snake uncoiled itself, and came at
me; but Inyoni, coming behind it, threw an assagy at it and pinned it to
the ground, whilst Tembile drove another spear into it. Seeing my
chance, I went close to the monster and stabbed it in the head two or
three times, and thus killed it. As soon as we saw it was dead we cut
some sticks, sharpened the ends of these, and pegged the snake straight
on the ground. It was then longer than the three of us, and was a giant
among snakes. The Caffre boys told me there were several such snakes
about, and that they would kill and swallow a calf. They knew no other
name for it than "Inyoka m'culu" ("the big snake.") They said these
snakes ate only about twice each moon, and after eating slept for many
days, and were sometimes then killed by wild pigs and leopards. They
said that, many months ago, a Caffre boy was sleeping near here, and
whilst asleep one of these snakes came to