Копи царя Соломона

           Eachcompanyremainedstillasacollectionofbronzestatuestillwewereoppositetoit,whenatasignalgivenbyitscommandingofficer, who,distinguishedbyaleopardskincloak,stoodsomepacesinfront,everyspearwasraisedintotheair, andfromthreehundredthroatssprangforthwithasuddenroartheroyalsaluteof"Koom." Then,sosoonaswehadpassed,thecompanyformedupbehindusandfollowedustowardsthekraal,tillatlastthewholeregimentofthe"Greys" —socalledfromtheirwhiteshields—thecrackcorpsoftheKukuanapeople,wasmarchinginourrearwithatreadthatshooktheground. 

           Atlength,branchingofffromSolomon’sGreatRoad,wecametothewidefossesurroundingthekraal,whichisatleastamileround,andfencedwithastrongpalisadeofpilesformedofthetrunksoftrees. Atthegatewaythisfosseisspannedbyaprimitivedrawbridge,whichwasletdownbytheguardtoallowustopassin. Thekraalisexceedinglywelllaidout. Throughthecentrerunsawidepathwayintersectedatrightanglesbyotherpathwayssoarrangedastocutthehutsintosquareblocks,eachblockbeingthequartersofacompany. Thehutsaredome-shaped,andbuilt,likethoseoftheZulus,ofaframeworkofwattle,beautifullythatchedwithgrass;but,unliketheZuluhuts,theyhavedoorwaysthroughwhichmencouldwalk. Alsotheyaremuchlarger,andsurroundedbyaverandahaboutsixfeetwide,beautifullypavedwithpowderedlimetroddenhard.