It Is, However, Extremely Fertile,
And The People Cultivate Amazing Quantities Of Corn, Maize, Millet,
Ground-Nuts, Pumpkins, And Cucumbers.
We observed that, when plants failed
in one spot, they were in the habit of transplanting them into another,
and they had also grown large numbers of young plants on the islands,
where they are favored by moisture from the river, and were now removing them
to the main land.
The fact of their being obliged to do this shows
that there is less rain here than in Londa, for there we observed the grain
in all stages of its growth at the same time.
The people here build their huts in gardens on high stages.
This is necessary on account of danger from the spotted hyaena,
which is said to be very fierce, and also as a protection against
lions and elephants. The hyaena is a very cowardly animal,
but frequently approaches persons lying asleep, and makes an ugly gash
on the face. Mozinkwa had lost his upper lip in this way,
and I have heard of men being killed by them; children, too,
are sometimes carried off; for, though he is so cowardly that the human voice
will make him run away at once, yet, when his teeth are in the flesh,
he holds on, and shows amazing power of jaw. Leg-bones of oxen,
from which the natives have extracted the marrow and every thing eatable,
are by this animal crunched up with the greatest ease,
which he apparently effects by turning them round in his teeth
till they are in a suitable position for being split.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 897 of 1070
Words from 257652 to 257921
of 306638
