The incidents of the first part of his stay--until the end of December--were apparently of little interest. After that came the preparations for the Great Dance, which took place on the 8th of January. The following day dancing was again continued, though with much less ceremony, and the 10th was the day appointed for a state slaughtering of cattle--one of the annual customs gone through at this season. This over, the king took his departure next day for a neighbouring abode of royalty. Commencing with the new year, the entries in the traveller’s Journal, with some particulars of the above events, stand as follows:-- “_January 1st, 1874._--Intensely hot, as yesterday was, and as they say it will be till the rain falls. Sent bullocks to fetch wood for making a scherm, having engaged John Jacobs and two Kafirs by the day. Rode over to Thomson’s to dinner (two and a half miles) and lost myself amongst the kopjes. The fine hot day and the luxuriantly green country and rapidly-growing Indian corn make it seem more like June than New Year’s Day to me. Petersen, Fairbairn, and Mandy went to Thomson’s in cart, and we sat down to a most excellent dinner--roast and boiled mutton, potatoes, cabbages, and turnips, plum-pudding, and mince-pies. Such dinners as this and my Christmas dinner at Petersen’s are worthy of notice, considering how few and far between they are. Pleasant evening just before and after sunset; moon nearly full. “_January 2d._--Fine hot day; heat, however, by no means so oppressive as it has been for the last day or two, on account of a pleasant breeze. Unpacked the front-box of my waggon. King called, and asked for his bottle of brandy and some large shot. He afterwards sent a boy for the brandy, whom I accompanied back to the king’s, and having given the brandy and shot, offered him six muskets I had been hoping all this time to sell him, and without any trouble got four fine elephants’ teeth for them, about 150 lbs. of ivory altogether. [Illustration: DANCING-STICK, BOW AND ARROWS, AND KNOB-KERRIES.]