Supped with Fairbairn on some excellent beef, and had a long chat with him. Cool, starlight night, with heavy dew. “_January 22d._--Fine hot day, but with slight clouds, and at night a heavy shower. Fairbairn had a row in trading with the king, who had chaffed him a good deal last night. A large quantity of ivory had come in (Fairbairn was here by the king’s express desire, to trade), and a small tooth had been put down before him. He had made his offer for it, which did not satisfy the king. Fairbairn said, ‘It is a small tooth.’ ‘Did you ever shoot as large a one?’ asked the king. This is considered a poser. Then a hot argument ensued between Fairbairn and the king, through John, the king maintaining that Fairbairn would show unequivocal signs of fear at the sight of an elephant. Fairbairn said white men were not afraid of them; whereupon the king cited, H----, a big man, who had not even shot a little calf; W----, ‘Where are the elephants _he_ shot?’ Many white men had said the same as Fairbairn, and where were the elephants they had killed? Then Fairbairn referred to Selous, a small man; he had not been afraid, he said. ‘Would he tell if he had shown signs of fear, or were you there to see?’ asked the king. Then the king told Fairbairn that he was getting rich and did not want his trade. Fairbairn got angry, and the result was that this morning he had a row. The king sent some large decayed teeth, which Fairbairn bought, and then some other teeth, which he could not buy, and which were sent to Gubuleweyo and sold; but in the meantime the king had offered Fairbairn two small teeth for a double-barrelled gun, less than cost price, and Fairbairn had left the king in disgust. “Went to the king’s kraal with John, and greeted the king, who was lying in his waggon, but as, after greeting us in return, he took no further notice of us and remained lying, I went away and had a nap in my waggon. Fairbairn afterwards had tiffin with me, and then we went together to the king, but he was still in his waggon--if not asleep, lying invisible; put out, I think, about Fairbairn. We waited long outside the kraal, and at length, near sundown, an induna came in white man’s clothing, and with a shield, wearing feathers on his head hanging under his hat, and accompanied by warriors. He, to call the king, began shouting out compliments in a loud voice, amongst which the words ‘Mosilikatze’ and ‘Incose’ (king), were frequently repeated, and a request made that the king would treat him kindly. This referred to beer and beef, which of course he would get. At last he finished, and went away unnoticed by the king, who, however, soon came out, and Fairbairn, John, and I, went to him, Dick and Jacob following. It was so late that we did little.