Colony of Birds called Linkololo - The Village of Chitlane -
Murder of Mpololo's Daughter - Execution of the Murderer and his
Wife -
My Companions find that their Wives have married other Husbands -
Sunday - A Party from Masiko - Freedom of Speech - Canoe struck
by a Hippopotamus - Gonye - Appearance of Trees at the end of Winter -
Murky Atmosphere - Surprising Amount of organic Life -
Hornets - The Packages forwarded by Mr. Moffat -
Makololo Suspicions and Reply to the Matebele who brought them -
Convey the Goods to an Island and build a Hut over them - Ascertain that
Sir R. Murchison had recognized the true Form of African Continent -
Arrival at Linyanti - A grand Picho - Shrewd Inquiry -
Sekeletu in his Uniform - A Trading-party sent to Loanda with Ivory -
Mr. Gabriel's Kindness to them - Difficulties in Trading -
Two Makololo Forays during our Absence - Report of the Country to the N.E.
- Death of influential Men - The Makololo desire to be nearer the Market
- Opinions upon a Change of Residence - Climate of Barotse Valley -
Diseases - Author's Fevers not a fair Criterion in the Matter -
The Interior an inviting Field for the Philanthropist - Consultations about
a Path to the East Coast - Decide on descending North Bank of Zambesi -
Wait for the Rainy Season - Native way of spending Time during the period
of greatest Heat - Favorable Opening for Missionary Enterprise -
Ben Habib wishes to marry - A Maiden's Choice - Sekeletu's Hospitality -
Sulphureted Hydrogen and Malaria - Conversations with Makololo -
Their moral Character and Conduct - Sekeletu wishes to purchase
a Sugar-mill, etc. - The Donkeys - Influence among the Natives -
"Food fit for a Chief" - Parting Words of Mamire - Motibe's Excuses.
On the 31st of July we parted with our kind Libonta friends.
We planted some of our palm-tree seeds in different villages of this valley.
They began to sprout even while we were there, but, unfortunately,
they were always destroyed by the mice which swarm in every hut.
At Chitlane's village we collected the young of a colony of
the linkololo (`Anastomus lamalligerus'), a black, long-legged bird,
somewhat larger than a crow, which lives on shellfish (`Ampullaria'),
and breeds in society at certain localities among the reeds.
These places are well known, as they continue there from year to year,
and belong to the chiefs, who at particular times of the year
gather most of the young. The produce of this "harvest", as they call it,
which was presented to me, was a hundred and seventy-five unfledged birds.
They had been rather late in collecting them, in consequence of waiting
for the arrival of Mpololo, who acts the part of chief, but gave them to me,
knowing that this would be pleasing to him, otherwise this colony
would have yielded double the amount. The old ones appear along the Leeambye
in vast flocks, and look lean and scraggy. The young are very fat,
and, when roasted, are esteemed one of the dainties of the Barotse valley.
In presents of this kind, as well as of oxen, it is a sort of feast of joy,
the person to whom they are presented having the honor of distributing
the materials of the feast.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 395 of 572
Words from 211226 to 211747
of 306638
