Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-18

to execute, because it involved scpara-
ton from my father. Put shortly, 1t
was to undertake trading Journey of
exploration right through the countries
now known as the Free State and tho
Transvaal. and rs mach further north
as could 60 1t was an adventurous
scheme, for, though the emigrant Beers
had begun to occupy positions in these
territories, they were still TO all practi-
cal purposes unexplored. But l was
now alone in the world, and it mattered
little what became of me; SO, driven on
by the overmastering love of adventure,
which, old as l am, will perhaps still DO
my cause of death, determined to un-
uertake 1t.
Accordingly ] sold such stock and
goods as we had upon the station, reserv-
ing only the two best wagons and two
pairs of oxen. The proceeds invested
in such goods as were then In fashion,
for trading purposes, and in guns and
ammunition. The guns would have
moved any modern explorer To merri.
ment; but such as they We're ! man.
aged to do n good deal of execution
with them. One of them was single
barreled, smooth bore, fitted for percus.
sion caps-a roer we called jt--which
threw three-ounce bail, and was
charged with handful of coarse black
powder. Many is the elephant that
killed with that roer, although it gener
ally knocked me backwards when fired
it, which only did under compulsion.
The best of tho lot, perhaps, was dou.
bic barreled No. 10 shot gun, but it had
ilint locks. Also, there We're some old
tower muskets, which might or might
not throw straight Mt seventy yards. ]
took six Kaflirs with me, aud three good
horses, which were supposed TO be salted
that is, proof against sickness. Among
the Kailirs was an old fellow Iamcd In
daba-zimbi, which, being translated,
means 'tongue of iron."
suppose he got this name from his
strident voice and exhaustless eloquence.
This man was great character in his
way. lie had been noted witch
doctor among a neighboring tribe, and
came to the station under the following
circumstances, which, rs he plays con-
siderable part in this history, are per-
haps worth recording.
Two years before my fathers death
had occasion to search the country
round for some lost oxen. After n long
and useless quest it occurred 10 me that
had better go TO the place where the
oxen were bred by Katlir chief, whose
name / forgot, but whose kraal was
about fifty miles from our station.
There went, and found the oxen safe
at home. Tho chief entertained me
handsomely, and on the following morn
ing went to pay my respects TO him
before leaving, and was somewhat sur
prised to find collection of some hun
dreds of men and women sitting round
him anxiously watching the sky, in
which the thunder-clouds were banking
up in a very ominous way.
"You had better wait, white man."
said the chief, "and see the rain doctors
fight the lightning"
inquired what he meant, and learned
that this man, Indaba- zimbi, had for
some years occupied the position of
wizard-in-chief to the tribe, although he
was not n member of it, having been
born in the country now known as
| Zululand. But son of the chiefs, a
man of about 80, had lately set up rs a
| rival in supernatural powers. This irri-
tated lndaba-zimbi beyond measure, and
quarrel ensued between the two witch
doctors that resulted in challenge to
trial by lightning being given and ac-
cepted. These were the conditions.
The rivals must await the coming of a
serious thunderstorm, no ordinary tenn
pest would serve tleir turn. Then,
carrying assegais in thdir >AaQds, they
must take their stand within fiffI PAGES
OF each other upon u certain palah OF
ground where the big thunderbolts were