sition of trust. Kondwana happened to be under the ban of Tshaka's
suspicion, which, once roused, was never allayed. This is the
explanation of his having been sent with his splendid regiment on a
useless expedition through the deadly fever country just to the south
of Delagoa Bay, between the Lebomba Mountains and the sea, and of his
now having to go with the effective remnant of his veterans on a quest
for copper to a hypothetical spot only vaguely rumoured of.

Amongst the spoil of a recent and very distant northern raid were a few
copper bangles, and the prisoners from whom these were taken said that
the metal had been smelted from green and yellow stones dug out of a
mountain far to the north. In a native forge at one of the villages
sacked, a few stones of the kind described had been found, and these
were brought to Tshaka. No other information on the subject was to be
had, yet Kondwana at once prepared to start upon his quest, knowing
that if he failed to carry out the king's order to the very letter, his
life would inevitably pay the forfeit.

Kondwana was a tall and very powerful man, jet black, but with a
pleasing expression of countenance when not moved to wrath. He was as
brave as a lion, and perfectly loyal to the king.

Tshaka possessed the faculty of inspiring loyalty to a high degree, but
he was unaware of this. Being of a highly suspicious nature, he
sacrificed to his groundless apprehensions numbers of his most loyal
and devoted adherents.

Kondwana returned to his kraal after being shown specimens of the
mineral which he had to seek. These were a few small lumps of shining
stone--some being blue in colour and some yellow. In others both
colours were present. When freshly broken, the blue specimens were
beautifully iridescent, and showed tints such as are seen in the
peacock's tail. Upon arriving at the headquarter military kraal next
morning, he mustered his regiment, and found it to be about four
hundred and fifty strong (effective). There were several hundred more
at the kraal, but they were still suffering from fever. The men were
all veterans, and thus wore head-rings, circular bands about seven
inches in diameter, of a black substance composed principally of gum.
These bands being about an inch thick, were fixed to the hair around
the crown of the head, and thus afforded a very effective protection
against blows.

The expedition started. A number of the men carried strong iron picks
for the