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.