An eclipse of the moon occurring during this period, an opportunity was afforded of observing the effect of this phenomenon on the minds of some of the party. “Soon after sunset,” writes Frank Oates on November 3d, “the moon rising, I think, a little before, I noticed the upper part of the moon, indeed all but a small crescent nearest the horizon, covered with a dingy, smoky shadow. It was an eclipse. I asked John what it was. He said, ‘Smoke.’ The moment it was shown to Macloule he uttered a cry of conjuration, as it were, and rushing out with a brand, threw it in the direction of the moon. His explanation is that we shall hear something; all the hunters out in the veldt will now return home to hear the news. People are looking at it in Gubuleweyo, England, everywhere. It is a custom, it seems, at all the kraals, when an eclipse is seen, for the people to rush out and throw brands, shouting at the same time. When I suggested a shadow on the moon, he dismissed the suggestion summarily, and when asked to explain the appearance by any other cause, said the moon was changing colour. As the eclipse progressed, I pointed out to him that the shadow kept rising, and more and more of the moon becoming visible, but he only said, ‘It looks bad now.’ I looked through the telescope, as it was nearly over, to note the exact time of the shadow passing away. Echle took a hasty glance through it, and turned away quickly, saying he did not like to see it.” By the middle of November, when they left their second camp, so much rain was already falling that hunting became difficult, and a return to Gubuleweyo was decided on. Starting back, therefore, on the return journey on November 16th, they reached Inyati, travelling slowly, on the 23d. Here Frank Oates was detained about a week, having much trouble and annoyance in paying off the boys he had engaged there for the hunt early in October, and it was the 2d of December before he once more found himself at Hope Fountain, near Gubuleweyo, the residence of Mr. Thomson, whence he wrote home the following letter:-- “Rev. J. B. THOMSON’s, HOPE FOUNTAIN, MATABELE LAND, “_December 4th, 1873_.