four years of my residence in Natal, three years were, with little interruption, passed at King Shaka's residence." In reality, a little over three years elapsed between the foundering of The Mary and Maclean’s final departure from Natal. Isaacs wrote about a trip that he, Maclean and others made in August 1826 to barter for food from the local population. If Isaacs was accurate in recording Maclean’s presence in the party, this would have cut further into the time that Maclean spent at Shaka's kraal. Walk to Delagoa Bay Two years after The Mary had foundered, the settlement had run out of medicine and fresh supplies had to be bought in Delagoa Bay. Isaacs wrote "... when John Ross Lieutenant King's apprentice, a lad of about fifteen years of age, acute, shrewd and active, was appointed to go the journey". Maclean, accompanied by two porters, agreed to walk to the Portuguese settlement at Delagoa Bay to replenish their supplies. The journey, as the crow flies, was probably more than after taking into account deviations to avoid the then-uncharted wetlands and mangrove swamps (now nature reserves). The journey would still take them over crocodile and hippopotamus-infested rivers, including the wide Tugela River. Isaacs, Maclean and two porters journeyed first to the kraal of Shaka, the king of the Zulu where the king was so impressed by their courage that he detailed an escort of 10 warriors to accompany Maclean, who continued to Delagoa Bay. Once Maclean reached the Tsonga territory that lay between the Lebombo Mountains and the sea, he paid tribute to Makasane, a Tsonga chief. On arrival at Delagoa Bay, he was first suspected of being a Zulu spy, but was nevertheless given permission to acquire the required medicines. Such was the local admiration for Maclean that he was given the medicines by well-wishers. Maclean only stayed in Delagoa Bay for three days as he was appalled by the slave trade that he witnessed there. He returned to Port Natal following the coast thereby avoiding Shaka's kraal – his return journey having taken just three weeks. Most of the details of his walk to Delagoa were published by Isaacs, with Maclean devoting but one sentence to his exploits. Final months in Natal The rebuilt ship, now the Elizabeth and Susan, eventually left Port Natal on 30 April 1828 under the captaincy of King. In addition to Isaacs and Maclean,