Angola. The orchilla weed and mosses, too, were in but small quantities. As we passed along, the people continued to supply us with food in great abundance. They had by some means or other got a knowledge that I carried medicine, and, somewhat to the disgust of my men, who wished to keep it all to themselves, brought their sick children for cure. Some of them I found had hoopingcough, which is one of the few epidemics that range through this country. In passing through the woods I for the first time heard the bird called Mokwa reza, or "Son-in-law of God" (Micropogon sulphuratus ?), utter its cry, which is supposed by the natives to be “pula, pula” (rain, rain). It is said to do this only before heavy falls of rain. It may be a cuckoo, for it is said to throw out the eggs of the white-backed Senegal crow, and lay its own instead. This, combined with the cry for rain, causes the bird to be regarded with favor. The crow, on the other hand, has a bad repute, and, when rain is withheld, its nest is sought for and destroyed, in order to dissolve the charm by which it is supposed to seal up the windows of heaven. All the other birds now join in full chorus in the mornings, and two of them, at least, have fine loud notes. CHAPTER XXVIII. Beautiful Valley.-Buffalo.-My young Men kill two Elephants.-The Hunt.Mode of measuring Height of live Elephants.-Wild Animals smaller here than in the South, though their Food is more abundant. - The Elephant a dainty Feeder. Semalembue.-His Presents.-Joy in prospect of living in Peace.Trade. His People's way of wearing their Hair.-Their Mode of Salutation.Old Encampment.-Sebituane's former Residence.-Ford of Kafue.-Hippopotami. Hills and Villages.-Geological Formation.-Prodigious Quantities of large Game.-Their Tameness.-Rains.-Less Sickness than in the Journey to Loanda.-Reason.-Charge from an Elephant.-Vast Amount of animal Life on the Zambesi.-Water of River discolored.--An Island with Buffaloes and Men on it.-Native Devices for killing Game.-Tsetse now in Country.-Agricultural Industry.—An Albino murdered by his Mother.-"Guilty of Tlolo.”— Women who make their Mouths "like those of Ducks."-First Symptom of the Slave-trade on this side.-Selole's Hostility.-An armed Party hoaxed.-An Italian Marauder slain.-Elephant's Tenacity of Life.-A Word to young Sportsmen. Mr. Oswell's Adventure with an Elephant; narrow Escape.-Mburuma's Village. Suspicious Conduct of his People.-Guides attempt to detain us.-The Village and People of Ma Mburuma.-Character our Guides give of us. 13th. THE country is becoming very beautiful, and furrowed by deep valleys; the underlying rocks, being igneous, have yielded fertile soil. There is great abundance of large game. The buffaloes select open spots, and often eminences, as standingplaces through the day. We crossed the Mbai, and found in its bed rocks of pink marble. Some little hills near it are capped by marble of beautiful whiteness, the underlying rock being igneous. Violent showers occur frequently on the hills, and cause such sudden sweeping floods in these rivulets, that five of our men, who had gone to the other side for firewood, were obliged to swim back. The temperature of the air is lowered considerably by the daily rains. Several times the thermometer at sunrise has been as low as 68°, and 74° at sunset. Generally, however, it stood at from 72° to 74° at sunrise, 90° to 96° at midday, and S0° to 84° at sunset. The sensation, however, as before remarked, was not disagreeable. 14th. We entered a most beautiful valley, abounding in large 600 ELEPHANT-HUNTING. game. Finding a buffalo lying down, I went to secure him for our food. Three balls did not kill him, and, as he turned round as if for a charge, we ran for the shelter of some rocks. Before we gained them, we found that three elephants, probably attracted by the strange noise, had cut off our retreat on that side; they, however, turned short off, and allowed us to gain the rocks. We then saw that the buffalo was moving off quite briskly, and, in order not to be entirely balked, I tried a long shot at the last of the elephants, and, to the great joy of my people, broke his fore leg. The young men soon brought him to a stand, and one shot in the brain dispatched him. I was right glad to see the joy manifested at such an abundant supply of meat. On the following day, while my men were cutting up the elephant, great numbers of the villagers came to enjoy the feast. We were on the side of a fine green valley, studded here and there with trees, and cut by numerous rivulets. I had retired from the noise, to take an observation among some rocks of laminated grit, when I beheld an elephant and her calf at the end of the valley, about two miles distant. The calf was rolling in the mud, and the dam was standing fanning herself with her great ears. As I looked at them through my glass, I saw a long string of my own men appearing on the other side of them, and Sekwebu came and told me that these had gone off saying, "Our father will see to-day what sort of men he has got." I then went higher up the side of the valley, in order to have a distinct view of their mode of hunting. The goodly beast, totally unconscious of the approach of an enemy, stood for some time suckling her young one, which seemed about two years old; they then went into a pit containing mud, and smeared themselves all over with it, the little one frisking about his dam, flapping his ears and tossing his trunk incessantly, in elephantine fashion. She kept flapping her ears and wagging her tail, as if in the height of enjoyment. Then began the piping of her enemies, which was performed by blowing into a tube, or the hands closed together, as boys do into a key. They call out to attract the animal's attention, "O chief! chief! we have come to kill you. O chief! chief! many more will die besides you, etc. |