The Tree Itself Is Never Found On The Lowlands,
But Is Mentioned With Approbation At The End Of The Work Of Bowditch.
My Men Almost Lived Upon The Fruit For Many Days.
The rains had fallen only partially:
In many parts the soil was quite dry
and the leaves drooped mournfully, but the fruit-trees are unaffected
by a drought, except when it happens at the time of their blossoming.
The Batoka of my party declared that no one ever dies of hunger here.
We obtained baskets of maneko, a curious fruit, with a horny rind,
split into five pieces: these sections, when chewed, are full of
a fine glutinous matter, and sweet like sugar. The seeds are covered
with a yellow silky down, and are not eaten: the entire fruit is about
the size of a walnut. We got also abundance of the motsouri and mamosho.
We saw the Batoka eating the beans called nju, which are contained
in a large square pod; also the pulp between the seeds of nux vomica,
and the motsintsela. Other fruits become ripe at other seasons,
as the motsikiri, which yields an oil, and is a magnificent tree,
bearing masses of dark evergreen leaves; so that, from the general plenty,
one can readily believe the statement made by the Batoka.
We here saw trees allowed to stand in gardens, and some of the Batoka
even plant them, a practice seen nowhere else among natives.
A species of leucodendron abounds. When we meet with it on a spot
on which no rain has yet fallen, we see that the young ones
twist their leaves round during the heat of the day, so that the edge only
is exposed to the rays of the sun; they have then a half twist on the petiole.
The acacias in the same circumstances, and also the mopane (`Bauhania'),
fold their leaves together, and, by presenting the smallest possible surface
to the sun, simulate the eucalypti of Australia.
Chapter 27.
Low Hills - Black Soldier-Ants; their Cannibalism -
The Plasterer and its Chloroform - White Ants; their Usefulness -
Mutokwane-smoking; its Effects - Border Territory -
Healthy Table-lands - Geological Formation - Cicadae -
Trees - Flowers - River Kalomo - Physical Conformation of Country -
Ridges, sanatoria - A wounded Buffalo assisted - Buffalo-bird -
Rhinoceros-bird - Leaders of Herds - The Honey-guide -
The White Mountain - Mozuma River - Sebituane's old Home -
Hostile Village - Prophetic Phrensy - Food of the Elephant -
Ant-hills - Friendly Batoka - Clothing despised - Method of Salutation -
Wild Fruits - The Captive released - Longings for Peace -
Pingola's Conquests - The Village of Monze - Aspect of the Country -
Visit from the Chief Monze and his Wife - Central healthy Locations -
Friendly Feelings of the People in reference to a white Resident -
Fertility of the Soil - Bashukulompo Mode of dressing their Hair -
Gratitude of the Prisoner we released - Kindness and Remarks
of Monze's Sister - Dip of the Rocks - Vegetation -
Generosity of the Inhabitants - Their Anxiety for Medicine -
Hooping-cough - Birds and Rain.
NOVEMBER 27TH. Still at Marimba's. In the adjacent country palms abound,
but none of that species which yields the oil; indeed, that is met with
only near the coast.
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