us, as usual, and the little
camp was early astir.

The interview was an important one. The name of Mozelkatse was known
all through the land, and his power was great. So implicitly did his
people believe in him, that they actually asserted that it was he who
had made the moon and the sun, and it was utterly useless to attempt to
proceed without his authority. Captain Hughes had been furnished by his
relative with a letter to this potentate, and both he and the missionary
had resolved that unless the reply given was encouraging they would not
go on. It was, therefore, not without some anxiety as to the result,
that orders were given to all the men to dress themselves out in any
little finery they possessed, an English Union Jack was mounted on a
lance, and, the one dressed in the time-stained uniform of the gallant
150th Regiment, the other in his priestly robes, took their way,
followed by their men, to the enclosure where the king was to receive
them, deeming themselves lucky in that the hunting party had led the
chief in their direction to this outlying village, and so spared them a
long journey to his capital. They saw but few of Mozelkatse's personal
guards, most of the motley tribe through which they took their way,
preceded by Luji as standard-bearer, being natives belonging to the
outlying tribe, and as they gained the enclosure, which was at the same
time council chamber and reception hall, the gathering seemed a numerous
one, for there were upwards of a hundred braves then present, and the
number was rapidly increasing. A covering of skins was fastened round
the waist of each, and broad rings of copper were worn round the arms
and ankles of the chiefs. A plume of feathers adorned the heads of the
principal men, while, hanging behind, somewhat after the fashion of a
Hungarian pelisse, each warrior wore a panther or other similar skin.
The array of dusky savages looked imposing enough, and all were well
armed. The left hand supported a shield of tanned buffalo hide,
surmounted with plumes of ostrich feathers. The same hand grasped a
long spear, while the right firmly held a short stout stick with a heavy
knob. Round the neck was a necklace, from which hung a dagger, while
the short beard, grizzly black moustache, and clean cut limbs, made
Mozelkatse's braves look formidable as they closed in, forming a circle
round the visitors, whose flag waved from the end of an assegai planted
in the centre of the c