En route for Maritzburg.

37

runs along the coach road the greater part of the way, with a very occasional tunnel here and there, where the inclination defied any attempts at zigzag cutting. Kaffir labour is almost exclusively employed in its construction, under white supervision. The Kaffirs are divided into gangs of from twelve to twenty, each division under a white overseer. Every gang then has a piece of the line allotted to it for its share, and on their allotted portion the boys build a krall, where they live until the work is finished. Thus the whole length of line is being worked upon at the same time.

After a two-hours' rest we set off again for Camperdown, the last stage before Maritzburg. This part of the road is rather more interesting, as here and there long lines of jagged, wild ravines, and wooded kloofs, break the monotony of the hard driedup plains. We passed a great many waggons laden with wool and hides on their way down to Durban, and the drivers were complaining bitterly of the want of grass and water on the road; their oxen bore witness to the truth of their complaints, for the poor beasts were nothing but skin and bones, and appeared to have hardly strength enough to drag themselves along the hard, hilly, dusty road, much less to draw a waggon with from 4000 to 6000 lbs weight on it.

The inn at Camperdown is as uncomfortable as it can well be; and although hungry, we could not manage to eat any of the broken meat and stale bread laid out for our luncheon upon a filthy table covered with a cloth which had done duty for

the last month. Dirty plates, greasy knives and forks made the meal additionally uninviting, so we contented ourselves with some biscuits and a bottle of luke-warm beer while the horses had a feed.

After a ten-miles' drive we at last came in sight of Pieter Maritzburg, the City of Natal. Although the town is nearly 3000 feet above the level of the sea, from the height of the hills with which it is surrounded it appears to lie very low. The little town is so well planted with trees, and has so many gardens both in it and around, that the view from the hill, driving down towards it, quite unprepares a stranger for the well-built continuous streets he may presently drive through, and makes the town look far smaller than it actually is.

We took up our quarters at the Royal Hotel, a fine stone building, with large lofty bedrooms, which would put those of most English hotels to shame. There was only time to get out of our dust-covered clothes before a capital table-d'hôte dinner was served up at 6.30.

We were rather surprised to hear nothing either of or from F. at our hotel, but put off making inquiries in the town till the morning, and strolled about outside with our cigars, enjoying the cool evening and watching the fireflies glancing through the air, filled with the noisy chirrupings of crickets in the trees and croakings of innumerable frogs in all the sloots running along each side of the streets. The cool air was such a delightful change from the sultry atmosphere of Durban, that we were reluctant to go indoors until late at night.

Preparation for a Start-Permits for Guns-Obtaining Ammunition -List of Stores-Beads-Iced Drinks-Market PricesFish-Kaffir Superstition-Our Boys.

F.

NEXT morning F., who had heard of our arrival, was waiting for us when we came down to breakfast. Rather to our disappointment his preparations for us were not quite finished, as he had been obliged to journey some distance to buy a waggon and oxen suitable for our wants. However, the waggon was in the waggon-maker's yard, having the finishing touches put to it; and the oxen, fourteen in number, of the Zulu breed, were under the charge of a neighbouring petty chief, Moheesa, who had also agreed to send three or more boys to accompany us. had also procured for us a couple of good serviceable horses with saddles and bridles; one of them was well known as an excellent shooting-horse, and the other had a turn of speed to recommend him. Our stores were all ordered and only waiting for the waggon to be ready to hold them, so as we were promised it early on Saturday we hoped to make a start on Monday morning. The only business left for us to transact ourselves was to procure the necessary permits from the resident magistrate for carrying our guns, and for enabling us to buy powder caps from the Ordnance department.

and

Great precautions are taken to prevent either fire-arms or powder falling into the hands of the Kaffirs or Boers. No man may either buy or sell a gun without obtaining permission, and also registering the transfer at the magistrate's office. No powder is allowed to be sold by private individuals, and it is a very tiresome task to obtain any from the Ordnance department, who have the sale of it.

At the magistrate's office we had first to register the Customs-house numbers of all the guns we purposed carrying, and obtained a separate permit for each; but the powder was a much longer business. We first had to fill up forms, signed in duplicate, to the effect that the 200 lbs. of powder we required was for the sole use and defence of our party, and not for any purpose of trading with natives within the boundaries of the colonies. Next we had to sign a bond, in conjunction with a householder, in 100l. apiece, that we would hold to our declarations, and also that we would "behave orderly and cause our servants to do likewise when outside the borders of the colony."

Armed with these documents, we proceeded to the Comptroller of arms, whose consent it was necessary to obtain before applying to the magistrate for the requisite order upon the superintendent of ammunition.

The Comptroller made no difficulties when we explained our purpose, and with his permission we returned to the magistrate's office, and without having to pay any costs, rather to our surprise, obtained the warrant for the superintendent of ammunition. This function rests in an ironmonger, to whom

we paid the money for the powder and caps, receiving another order for their delivery, upon the care-taker of the magazine. The magazine is situated a couple of miles from the town, and necessitated our hiring a carriage to drive out and bring it back in. We took three sorts of powder: sharps at Is. 7d. per lb. for the natives we had with us to use in their muzzle-loaders; No. 6, 4s. 3d., rifle grain, for our own large-bore rifles; and No. 4, 4s., for our fowling-pieces.

Cartridge-cases, wads, and shot, we required no permission to buy from a gun-smith in the town, 2 cwt. of lead, at twopence a lb.; 2 bags of loupers. as the Dutch call the A.A. shot; 3 bags of No. 5, 2 of No. 6, 1 of No. 8, and 1 of dust shot, with a large assortment of wads and empty cartridge-cases; 3000 falling block (Westley-Richard) cartridges for the carbines, 1000 for the long-range rising-block rifle, and some hundreds of ball cartridges for each of the large-bore rifles, and 1000 loaded with various kinds of shot for the fowling-pieces, completed our magazine.

We took a large amount of lead, for although there was small chance of our using even a tithe of it, yet we could take no more convenient article of trade, as the cost of carriage more than quadruples its value up country. Our other stores consisted of,

2 cwt, coffee.

1 box tea.

25 lbs. raisins and plums.
I doz. each brandy and gin.
3 doz. pickles.

4 doz. jams..

2 cwt. salt.

3 doz. preserved lobster. 1 cwt. rice.

I cwt. candles.