Horses Dread This Bush Extremely;
Indeed, Most Of Them Refuse To Face Its Thorns.
On reaching Mburuma's village, his brother came to meet us.
We explained
the reason of our delay, and he told us that we were looked upon with alarm.
He said that Siriatomba had been killed near the village of Selole, and hence
that man's fears. He added that the Italian had come talking of peace,
as we did, but had kidnapped children and bought ivory with them,
and that we were supposed to be following the same calling.
I pointed to my men, and asked if any of these were slaves,
and if we had any children among them, and I think we satisfied him
that we were true men. Referring to our ill success in hunting
the day before, he said, "The man at whose village you remained was in fault
in allowing you to want meat, for he had only to run across to Mburuma;
he would have given him a little meal, and, having sprinkled that
on the ground as an offering to the gods, you would have found your elephant."
The chiefs in these parts take upon themselves an office somewhat like
the priesthood, and the people imagine that they can propitiate the Deity
through them. In illustration of their ideas, it may be mentioned that,
when we were among the tribes west of Semalembue, several of the people
came forward and introduced themselves - one as a hunter of elephants,
another as a hunter of hippopotami, a third as a digger of pitfalls -
apparently wishing me to give them medicine for success in their avocations,
as well as to cure the diseases of those to whom I was administering
the drugs.
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