Large Patches Of Mapira Continued To Grow, - As It Is Said It
Does From The Roots For Three Years.
The mapira was mixed with tall
bushes of the Congo-bean, castor-oil plants, and cotton.
The largest
patch of this kind we paced, and found it to be six hundred and
thirty paces on one side - the rest were from one acre to three, and
many not more than one-third of an acre. The cotton - of very
superior quality - was now dropping off the bushes, to be left to rot-
-there was no one to gather what would have been of so much value in
Lancashire. The huts, in the different villages we entered, were
standing quite perfect. The mortars for pounding corn - the stones
for grinding it - the water and beer pots - the empty corn-safes and
kitchen utensils, were all untouched; and most of the doors were
shut, as if the starving owners had gone out to wander in search of
roots or fruits in the forest, and had never returned. When opened,
several huts revealed a ghastly sight of human skeletons. Some were
seen in such unnatural positions, as to give the idea that they had
expired in a faint, when trying to reach something to allay the
gnawings of hunger.
We took several of the men as far as the Mukuru-Madse for the sake of
the change of air and for occupation, and also to secure for the
ships a supply of buffalo meat - as those animals were reported to be
in abundance on that stream.
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