In addition to his _bangwan_ every man carried three large and heavy knives, each knife weighing about two pounds.

One knife was fixed in the ox-tail girdle, and the other two at the back of the round shield.

These knives, which are called "_tollas_" by the Kukuanas, take the place of the throwing assegai of the Zulus.
The Kukuana warriors can cast them with great accuracy to a distance of fifty yards, and it is their custom on charging to hurl a volley of them at the enemy as they come to close quarters.
Each company remained still as a collection of bronze statues till we were opposite to it, when at a signal given by its commanding officer, who, distinguished by a leopard skin cloak, stood some paces in front, every spear was raised into the air, and from three hundred throats sprang forth with a sudden roar the royal salute of "_Koom_." Then, so soon as we had passed, the company formed up behind us and followed us towards the kraal, till at last the whole regiment of the "Greys"-- so called from their white shields--the crack corps of the Kukuana people, was marching in our rear with a tread that shook the ground.
At length, branching off from Solomon's Great Road, we came to the wide fosse surrounding the kraal, which is at least a mile round, and fenced with a strong palisade of piles formed of the trunks of trees.

At the gateway this fosse is spanned by a primitive drawbridge, which was let down by the guard to allow us to pass in.

The kraal is exceedingly well laid out.