AFTER spending rather more than a year in England,
Dr. Living-
stone again set out, on the loth of March 1858, on board
Her
Majesty's Ship "Pearl," at the head of a government expedition
for the purpose of exploring the Zambesi and neighboring
regions. He
was accompanied by Dr. Kirk, his brother Charles Livingstone,
and Mr.
Thornton ; and Mr. T. Baines was appointed artist to
the expedition.
A small steamer, which, was called the " Ma-Robert," in
compliment to
Mrs. Livingstone, was provided by the government for
the navigation of
the river. The East Coast was reached in May. Running
up the river
Luawe, supposed to be a branch of the Zambesi, the "
Pearl " came toan
anchor, and the " Ma-Robert," which had been brought
out in sections,
was screwed together. The two vessels then went together
in search of
the real mouth of the river, from which Quillimane is
some sixty miles
distant, the Portuguese having concealed the real entrance,
if they were
acquainted with it, in order to deceive the English cruisers
in search of
slavers.
The goods for the expedition brought out by the " Pearl
" having been
landed on a grassy island about forty miles from the
bar, that vessel sailed
for Ceylon, while the little "Ma-Robert" was left to
pursue her course
alone. Her crew consisted of about a dozen Krumen and
a few
Europeans.
At Mazaro, the mouth of a creek communicating with the
QuiUimane
or Kilimane River, the expedition heard that the Portuguese
were at war
with a half-caste named Mariano, a brother of Bonga,
who had built a
stockade near the mouth of the Shire, and held possession
of all the inter-
mediate country. He had been in the habit of sending
out his armed
bands on slave-hunting expeditions among the helpless
tribes to the north-
west, selling his victims at QuiUimane, where they were
shipped as free
emigrants to the French island of Bourbon.
An Inhuman Monster.
As long as his robberies and murders were restricted to
the natives at
a distance, the Portuguese did not interfere, but when
he began to carry
off and murder the people near them, they thought it
time to put a stop
to his proceedings. They spoke of him as a rare monster
of inhumanity.
He frequently killed people with his own hand in order
to make his name
dreaded. Having gone down to Quillimane to arrange with
the governor,
or, in other words, to bribe him, Colonel De Silva put
him in prison and
sent him for trial to Mozambique. The war, however, was
continued
under his brother Bonga, and had stopped all trade on
the river.
The expedition witnessed a battle at Mazaro, between Bonga
and the
Portuguese, when Livingstone, landing, found himself
in the sickening
smell and among the mutilated bodies of the slain. He
brought off the
governor, who was in a feyer, the balls whistling about
his head in all
directions. The Portuguese then escaped to an island
opposite Shupanga,
where, having exhausted their ammunition, they were compelled
to remain.
There is a one-storied house at Shupanga, from which there
is a mag-
nificent view down the river. Near it is a large baobab-tree,
beneath
which, a few years later, the remains of the beloved
wife of Dr. Living-
stone were to repose.
On the 17th of August the "Ma-Robert" commenced her voyage
up
the stream for Tete. It was soon found that her furnaces
being badly
constructed, and that from other causes she was ill-adapted
for the work
before her. She quickly, in consequence, obtained the
name of the
"Asthmatic." Senna, which was visited on the way, being
situated on
low ground, is a fever-giving place. The steamer, of
course, caused
great astonishment to the people, who assembled in crowds
to witness
her movements, whirling round their arms to show the
way the paddles
revolved.
Tete was reached on the 8th of September. No sooner did
Living-
stone go on shore, than his Makololo rushed down to the
water's edge,
and manifested the greatest joy at seeing him. Six of
the young men
had foolishy gone off to make money by dancing before
some of the
neighboring chiefs, when they fell into the hands of
Bonga, who, de-
claring that they had brought witchcraft medicine to
kill him, put them
all to death.
Hardships of Overland Travel.
The Portuguese at this place keep numerous slaves, whom
they treat
with tolerable humanity. When they can they purchase
the whole of a
family, thus taking away the chief inducement for running
off.
The expedition having heard of the Kebrabasa Falls, steamed
up the
river to Panda Mokua, where the navigation ends, about
two miles below
them. Hence the party started overland, by a frightfully
rough path
among rocky hills, where no shade was to be found. At
last their guides
declared that they could go no further ; indeed, the
surface of the ground
was so hot that the soles of the Makololos' feet became
blistered. The
travellers, however, pushed on. Passing round a steep
promontory, they
beheld the river at their feet, the channel janimed in
between two moun-
tains with perpendicular sides, and less than fifty yards
wide. There is a
sloping fall of about twenty feet in height, and another
at a distance of
thirty yards above it. When, however, the river rises
upwards of eighty
feet perpendicularly, as it does in the rainy season,
the cataract might be
passed in boats.
After returning to Tete, the steamer went up the Shire,
January, 1859.
The natives, as they passed them, collected at their
villages in large num-
bers, armed with bows and poisoned arrows, threatening
to attack them.
Livingstone, however, went on shore, and explained to
the chief, Tingane,
that they had come neither to take slaves nor to fight,
but wished to open
up a path by which his countryman could ascend to purchase
their cot-
ton. On this Tingane at once became friendly.
Magnificent Cataract.
Their progress was arrested, after steaming up a hundred
miles in a
straight line, although, counting the windings of the
river, double that
distance, by magnificent cataracts known to the natives
as those of the
Mamvira, but called by the expedition the Murchison Falls,
Rain pre-
vented them making observations, and they returned at
a rapid rate
down the river.
A second trip up it was made in March of the same year.
They here
gained the friendship of Chibisa, a shrewd and intelligent
chief, whose
village was about ten miles below the cataracts. He told
the doctor that
a few years before his little daughter was kidnapped,
and was now a
slave to the padre at Tete, asking him, if possible,
to ransom the child.
From this point Drs. Livingstone and Kirk proceeded on
foot in a
northerly direction to Lake Shirwa. The natives turned
out from their
villages, sounding notes of defiance on their drums ;
but the efforts to
persuade them that their visitors came as friends were
successful, and the
lake was discovered on the 18th of April. From having
no outlet, the
water is brackish, with hilly islands rising out of it.
The country around
appeared very beautiful and clothed with rich vegetation,
with lofty
mountains eight thousand feet high near the eastern shore.
They returned to Tete in June, and thence, after the steamer
had been
repaired, proceeded to the Kongone, where they received
provisions from
Her Majesty's Ship "Persian," which also took on board
their Krumen,
as they were found useless for land journeys. In their
stead a crew was
picked out from the Makololo, who soon learned to work
the ship, and
who, besides being good travellers, could cut wood and
require only
native food.
Searching for a Great Lake.
Frequent showers fell on their return voyage up the Zambesi,
and the
vessel being leaky, the cabin was constantly flooded,
both from above
and below. They were visited on their way up by Paul,
a relative of the
rebel Mariano, who had just returned from Mozambique.
He told them
that the Portuguese knew nothing of the Kongone before
they had dis-
covered it, always supposing that the Zambesi entered
the sea at Quilli-
mane. A second trip up the Shire was performed in the
middle of
August, when the two doctors set out in search of Lake
Nyassa, about
which they had heard. The river, though narrow, is deeper
than the
Zambesi, and more easily navigated.
Marks of large game were seen, and one of the Makololo,
who had
gone on shore to cut wood, was suddenly charged at by
a solitary buffalo.
He took to flight, pursued by the maddened animal, and
was scarcely six
feet before the creature when he reached the bank and
sprang into the
river. On both banks a number of hippopotamus-traps were
seen.
The animal feeds on grass alone, its enormous lip acting
like a mow-
ing machine, forming a path before it as it feeds. Over
these paths the
natives construct a trap, consisting of a heavy beam,
five or six feet long,
with a spear- head at one end, covered with poison. This
weapon is hung
to a forked pole by a rope which leads across the path,
and is held by a
catch, set free as the animal treads upon it. A hippopotamus
was seen
which, being frightened by the steamer, rushed on shore
and ran imme-
diately under one of these traps, when down came the
heavy beam on
his head.
The leaks in the steamer increased till the cabin became
scarcely hab-
itable. The neighborhood of Chibisa's village was reached
late in August.
Failure to Recover a Kidnapped Child.
The doctor had now to send word to the chief that his
attempts to
recover his child had failed, for, though he had offered
twice the value of
a slave, the little girl could not be found, the padre
having sold her to a
distant tribe of Bazizulu. Though this padre was better
than the average,
he appeared very indifferent about the matter.
On the 28th of August, an expedition consisting of four
whites, thirty-
six Makololo, and two guides left the ship in hopes of
discovering Lake
Nyassa. The natives on the road were very eager to trade.
As soon as
they found that the strangers would pay for their provisions
in cotton,
cloth, women and girls were set to grind and pound meal,
and the men
and boys were seen chasing screaming fowl over the village.
A head man
brought some meal and other food for sale ; a fathom
of blue cloth was
got out, when the Makololo head man, thinking a portion
was enough,
was proceeding to tear it. On this the native remarked
that it was a
pity to cut such a nice dress for his wife, and he would
rather bring more
meal. " All right/' said the Makololo, " but look, the
cloth is very wide,
so see that the basket which carries the meal be wide
too, and add a
chicken to make the meal taste nicely."
The highland women of these regions all wear the pelele,
or lip-ring,
before described. An old chief, when asked why such things
were worn,
replied : "For beauty ; men have beards and whiskers,
women have
none. What kind of creature would a woman be without
whiskers and
without the pelele?"
The Fearful Cry from the River.
When, as they calculated, they were a day's march from
Lake Nyassa,
the chief of the village assured them positively that
no lake had ever been
heard of there, and that the river Shire stretched on,
as they saw it, to a
distance of two months, and then came out between two
rocks which
-towered to the skies. The Makololo looked blank, and
proposed return-
ing to the ship. "Never mind," said the doctor, " we
will go on and see
.these wonderful rocks."
Their head man, Massakasa, declared that there must be
a lake,
because it was in the white men's books, and scolded
the natives for
speaking a falsehood. They then admitted that there was
a lake. The
chief brought them a present in the evening. Scarcely
had he gone
when a fearful cry arose from the river ; a crocodile
had carried off his
principal wife. The Makololo, seizing their arms, rushed
to the rescue;
but it was too late.
Many of the natives show great courage and skill in capturing
these
formidable monsters which infest the rivers of Africa.
The following
graphic narrativ^e by a traveller connected with an exploring
party in the
Tropics relates the manner in which the natives sometimes
take their
prey.
" You come and see Igubo kill de crocodile," I heard Timbo
say to Leo
and Natty. These were names of natives accompanying our
expedition.
Igubo had provided himself with a piece of one of the
animals which
he had brought home, and which had become no longer eatable.
He
had fastened it to the end of a long rope, and his sons
carried it down to
the water. Timbo and Leo, with the two boys, set off
after them; and,
taking my rifle, I followed to see what would happen.
On reaching the river, Igubo threw in the meat as far
as he could, fas-
tening the end of the rope to the trunk of a tree. Then,
on his making
a sign to us to hide ourselves, we retired behind some
bushes. In a short
time the rope was violently tugged, and Igubo, throwing
off his scanty
garments, drew his sharp knife from its sheath, and sprang
into the water.
I could not refraim from crying out, and entreating him
to come back;
but he paid no heed to me, and swam on.
Close Combat with a Crocodile.
Presently he disappeared, and I felt horror-struck at
the thought that
a crocodile had seized him ; but directly afterwards
the snout of the huge
monster appeared above the water, Igubo rising at the
same time directly
behind it. The creature, instead of attempting to turn,
made towards
the bank, at a short distance off. Igubo followed ; and
I saw his
hand raised, and his dagger descend into the side of
the crea-
ture. Still the crocodile did not attempt to turn, but
directly after-
wards reaching the bank, climbed up it. Igubo followed,
and again
plunged his knife into the monster's side. Every instant
I expected to
see him seized by its terrific jaws ; but the creature
seemed terror-stricken,
and made no attemipt at defence.
Again and again the black plunged in his knife, while
the crocodile
vainly endeavored to escape. The next instant Igubo was
on its back,
and the creature lay without moving. A few minutes only
had passed.
It opened its vast jaws, each time more languidly than
before, till at
length it sank down, and, after a few struggles, was
evidently dead.
Igubo, springing up, flourished his knife over his head
in triumph. Leo,
running to the canoe, began to launch it. We all jumped
in, and pad-
dled off to the bank, Timbo bringing the rope with him.
We fastened
it round the crocodile's neck, and towed the body in
triumph to the shore,
up which we hauled it.
Strange Creatures Hatclied from Eggs.
"Igubo say we find eggs not far off," said Timbo, as if
doubting it.
Natty and his brother, at a sign from their father, began
at once
hunting about, and in a short time called us to them.
There was a large
hole in the bank concealed by overhanging bushes. It
was full of eggs,
about the size of those of a goose. On counting them
we found no less
than sixty. The shell was white and partially elastic,
both ends being
exactly the same size. The nest was about four yards
from the water.
A pathway led up to it ; and Igubo told Timbo, that after
the crocodile
has deposited her eggs, she covers them up with about
four feet of earth,
and returns afterwards to clear it away, and to assist
the young out of the
shells. After this, she leads them to the water, where
she leaves them to
catch small fish for themselves.
At a little distance was another nest, from which the
inmates had just
been set free ; and on a sandbank a little way down we
caught sight of a
number of the little monsters crawling about. They appeared
in no way
afraid of us as we approached, and Natty and his brother
speared several.
They were about ten inches long, with yellow eyes, the
pupil being merely
a perpendicular slit. They were marked with transverse
stripes of pale
green and brown, about half an inch in width. Savage
little monsters
they were, too ; for though their teeth were but partly
developed, they
turned round and bit at the weapon darted at them, uttering
at the same
time a sharp welp like that of a small puppy when it
first tries to bark.
Igubo could not say whether the mother crocodile eats
up her young
occasionally, though, from the savage character of the
creature, I should
think it very likely that she does, if pressed by hunger.
As it is well known, the ichneumon has the reputation
on the banks
of the Nile of killing young crocodiles ; but Igubo did
not know whether
they ever do so in his part of the world. He and his
boys collected all
the eggs they could find, declaring that they were excellent
for eating.
They however told us that they should only consume the
yolk, as the
white of the egg does not coagulate. When it is known
what a vast
:number of eggs a crocodile lays, it may be supposed
that the simplest
way of getting rid of the creatures is to destroy them
before they are
hatched. It would seem almost hopeless to attempt to
exterminate them
by killing only the old ones. However, I fancy they have
a good many
enemies, and that a large number of the young do not
grow up.
As we were walking along the bank, we saw, close to the
water, a
young crocodile just making his way into it; and Mango,
leaping down,
captured the little creature. Even then it showed its
disposition by at-
tempting to bite his fingers. On examining it, we found
a portion of
yolk almost the size of a hen's egg fastened by a membrane
to the
abdomen, which was doubtless left there as a supply of
nourishment,
to enable the creature to support existence till it was
strong enough
to catch fish for itself Igubo declared that they caught
the fish by
means of their broad scaly tails. The eggs, I should
say, had a
strong internal membrane, and a small quantity only of
lime in their
composition.
We had some difficulty in inducing our friends to believe
the account
we gave them of Igubo's exploit. He however undertook,
if they were
not satisfied, to kill a crocodile in the same way another
day.
Livingstone Discovers Lake Nyassa.
The expedition moving forward, on the 16th of September,
1859, the
long-looked-for Lake Nyassa was discovered, with hills
rising on both
sides of it. Two months after this the lake was visited
by Dr. Roscher,
who was unaware of Drs. Livingstone and Kirk's discovery;
unhappily
he was murdered on his road back towards the Rovuma.
The travellers were now visited by the chief of a village
near the con-
fluence of the lake and the river, who invited them to
form their camp
under a magnificent banyan-tree, among the roots of which,
twisted into
the shape of a gigantic arm-chair, four of the party
slept. The chief told
them that a slave party, led by Arabs, was encamped near
at hand ; and in.
the evening a villainous set of fellows, with long muskets,
brought several-
young children for sale; but, finding that the travellers
were English,,
they decamped, showing signs of fear. The people of the
Manganja
tribe, amidst whom they were now travelling, showed much
suspicion of
their object, saying that parties had come before with
the same sort of
plausible story, and had suddenly carried off a number
of their people
To allay these suspicions, Livingstone thought it best
at once to return,
to the ship.
Soon afterwards Dr. Kirk and Mr. Rae, the engineer, set
off with
guides to go across the country to Tete, the distance
being about one
hundred miles. From want of water they suffered greatly,
while the
tsetse infested the district.
Livingstone had resolved to visit his old friend Sekeletu;
but, finding:
that before the new crop came in, food could not be obtained
beyond the
Kebrabasa, he returned in the "Ma-Robert" once more to
the Kongone^
They found Major Sicard at Mazaro, he having come there
with tools,
and slaves to build a custom-house and fort.
A Bare-faced Fraud.
After this trip, the poor "Asthmatic" broke down completely;
she was
therefore laid alongside the island of Kanyimbe, opposite
Tete, and placed
under the charge of two English sailors. They were furnished
with a
supply of seeds to form a garden, both to afford them
occupation and
food.
Active preparations were now made for the intended journey
westward;
cloth, beads, and brass wire were formed into packages,
with the bearers
name printed on each.
The Makololos who had been employed by the expedition
received
their wages. Some of those who had remained at Tete had
married
and resolved to continue where they were. Others did
not leave with,
the same good will they had before exhibited, and it
was doubtful,
if attacked, whether they would not run to return to
their lately formed
friends.
All arrangements had been concluded by the 15th of May,
1860, and
the journey was commenced. As the Banyai, who hve on
the right
bank, were said to levy heavy fines, the party crossed
over to the left.
Livingstone was stopping near the Kebrabasa village, when
a man ap-
peared, who pretended that he was a pondoro; that is,
that he could;.
change himself into a lion whenever he chose a statement
his country-
men fully believed. Sometimes the pondoro hunts for the
benefit of the-
villagers, when his wife takes him some medicine which
enables him to
change himself back to a man. She then announces what
game has
been killed, and the villagers go into the forrest to
bring it home. The-
people believe also that the souls of the departed chiefs
enter into lions-
One night, a buffalo having been killed, a lion came
close to the camp,,
when the Makololo declared that he was a pondoro, and
told him that he-
ought to be ashamed of himself for trying to steal the
meat of strangers..
The lion, however, disregarding their addresses, only
roared louder thart.
ever, though he wisely kept outside the bright circle
of the camp-fires.
A little strychnine was placed on a piece of meat and
thrown to him,
after which he took his departure, and was never again
seen.
A Hostile Chief Conciliated.
Again passing Kebrabasa, the travellers enjoyed the magnificent
moun-
tain scenery in this neighborhood, and came to the conclusion
that not
only it, but the Morumbwa could, when the river rises,
be passed, so as
to allow of a steamer being carried up to run on the
upper Zambesi.
On the 20th of June they reached the territory of the
chief Mpende,
who had, on Livingstone's journey to the East Coast,
threatened to attack
him. Having in the mean time heard that he belonged to
a race who
love black men, his conduct was now completely changed,
and he showed
every desire to be friendly. Game was abundant, and lions
were especi-
ally numerous.
After visiting Zumbo, Dr. Kirk was taken dangerously ill.
He got
better on the high ground, but immediately he descended
into the valleys
he always felt chilly. In six days, however, he was himself
again, and.
able to march as well as the rest. Again abundance of
honey was ob-
tained through the means of the " honey guide." The bird
never de-
ceived them, always guiding them to a hive of bees, though
sometimes.
there was but little honey in it. On the 4th of August
the expedition,
reached Moachemba, the first of the Batoka villages,
which owe allegiance
to Sekeletu. From thence, beyond a beautiful valley,
the columns of
vapor rising from the Victoria Falls, upwards of twenty
miles away^
could clearly be distinguished.
At the village opposite Kalai the Malokolo head man, Mashotlane,
paid the travellers a visit. He entered the hut where
they were seated,
a little boy carrying a three-legged stool. In a dignified
way the chief
took his seat, presenting some boiled hippopotamus meat.
Having then
taken a piece himself, he handed the rest to his followers.
He had lately
TDeen attacking the Batoka, and when the doctor represented
to him the
wrongfulness of the act he defended himself by declaring
that they had
killed some of his companions. Here also they found Pitsane,
who had
heen sent by Sekeletu to purchase horses from a band
of Griquas.
Famous Batoka Tribe.
A description of the Batokas will be of interest in this
connection.
There are two distinct varieties; of whom those living
on low-lying sands
such as the banks of the Zambesi, are very dark, while
those of the higher
-lands are light brown. Their character seems to differ
with their com-
plexions, the former variety being dull, stupid, and
intractable, while the
latter are comparatively intellectual.
They do not improve their personal appearance by an odd
habit of
depriving themselves of their upper incisor teeth. The
want of these
teeth makes the corresponding incisors of the lower jaw
project outward,
and force the lip with them; so that even in youth they
all have an
aged expression of countenance. Knocking out these teeth
is part of a
ceremony which is practiced on both sexes when they are
admitted into
the ranks of men and women, and is probably the remains
of some
religious rite. The reason which they give is absurd
enough, namely,
that they like to resemble oxen, which have no upper
incisors, and not
to have all their teeth like zebras'. It is probable,
however, that this state-
ment may be merely intended as an evasion of questions
which they think
themselves bound to parry, but which may also have reference
to the
extreme veneration for oxen which prevails in the African's
mind.
In spite of its disfiguring effect, the custom is universal
among the
"various sub-tribes of which the Batoka are composed,
and not even the
definite commands of the chief himself, nor the threats
of punishment,
could induce the people to forego it. Girls and lads
would suddenly
make their appearance without their teeth, and no amount
of questioning
could induce them to state when, and by whom, they were
knocked out.
fourteen or fifteen is the usual age for performing the
operation.
Hair Done Up in Style.
Their dress is a little remarkable, especially the mode
in which some of
them arrange their hair. The hair on the top of the head
is drawn and
plastered together in a circle some six or seven inches
in diameter. By
dint of careful training, and plenty of grease and other
appliances, it is
at last formed into a cone some eight or ten inches in
height, and slightly
leaning forward. In some cases the cone is of wonderful
height, the head
man of a Batoka village wearing one which was trained
into a long spike
that projected a full yard from his head, and which must
have caused
him considerable inconvenience. In this case, evidently
other materials
were freely mixed with the hair; and it is said that
the long hair of
various animals is often added, so as to mingle with
the real growth, and
aid in raising the edifice. Around the edges of this
cone the hair is
shaven closely, so that the appearance of the head is
very remarkable, and
somewhat ludicrous.
One of this tribe named Mantanyani accompanied Dr. Livingstone
He was a singularly skilful boatman, and managed an ordinary
whaling-
boat as easily as one of his own canoes. The ornament
which he wears
in his hair is a comb made of bamboo. It was not manufactured
by him-
self, but was taken from Shimbesi's tribe on the Shire,
or Sheereh River.
He and his companions forced the boat up the many rapids,
and, on being-
interrogated as to the danger, he said that he had no
fears, for he could
swim like a fish, and that, if by any mischance he should
allow Mr. Baines
to fall overboard and be drowned, he should never dare
to show his face
to Livingstone again.
Mr. Baines remarks in his notes, that Mantanyani ought
to have made
a good sailor, for he was not only an adept at the management
of boats
but could appreciate rum as well as any British tar.
It so happened that
at night, after the day's paddling was over, grog was
served out to the men,,
and yet for two or three nights Mantanyani would not
touch it. Accord-
ingly one night the following colloquy took place :
" Mantanyani, non quero grog ?" (That is, cannot you take
grog ?)
" Non quero." (I cannot.)
" Porquoi non quero grog ?" (Why cannot you take grog
?)
" Garaffa poco, Zambesi munta." (The bottle is little
and the Zambesi
is big.)
The hint was taken, and rum unmixed with water was offered
to Man-
tanyani, who drank it off like a sailor.
No Talking nor Whistling Allowed.
A spirited account of the skill of the natives in managing
canoes is
given by Livingstone in " The Zambesi and its Tributaries."
The canoe
belonged to a man named Tuba-Mokoro, or the "Canoe-smasher,"
a
rather ominous, but apparently undeserved title, inasmuch
as he proved
to be a most skilful and steady boatman. He seemed almost
to be modest,,
for he took no credit to himself for his management,
but attributed his
success entirely to a certain charm or medicine which
he had, and which
lie kept a profound secret. He was employed to take the
party through
the rapids to an island close to the edge of the great
Smoke Sounding
Falls, now called the Victoria Falls. This island can
only be reached
when the water happens to be very low, and, even in that
case, none but
the most experienced boatmen can venture so near to the
Fall, which is
double the depth of Niagara, and a mile in width, formed
entirely by a
"vast and sudden rift in the basaltic bed of the Zambesi.
Before entering the race of water, we were requested not
to speak, as
our talking might diminish the value of the medicine,
and no one with
such boiling, eddying rapids before his eyes would think
of disobeying
the orders of a "canoe-smasher." It soon became
evident that there
Avas sound sense in the request of Tuba, though the reason
assigned
was not unlike that of the canoe man from Sesheke, who
begged one of
our party not to whistle, because whistling made the
wind come.
It was the duty of the man at the bow to look out ahead
for the proper
course, and, when he saw a rock or a snag, to call out
to the steersmaip.
Tuba doubtless thought that talking on board might divert
the attention
of his steersman at a time when the neglect of an order,
or a slight mis-
take, would be sure to spill us all into the chafing
river. There were
places where the utmost exertions of both men had to
be put forth in
order to force the canoe to the only safe part of the
rapid and to prevent
it from sweeping broadside on, when in a twinkling we
should have found
ourselves among the plotuses and cormorants which are
engaged in div-
ing for their breakfast of small fish.
"We Struck Hard."
At times it seemed as if nothing could save us from dashing
in our
headlong race against the rocks, which, now that the
river was low,
jutted out of the water; but, just at the very nick of
time. Tuba passed
the word to the steersman, and then, with ready pole,
turned the canoe a
little aside, and we glided swiftly past the threatened
danger. Never
was canoe more admirably managed. Once only did the medicine
seem
to have.lost something of its efficacy.
We were driving swiftly down, a black rock over which
the white foam
lay directly in our path, the pole was planted against
it as readily
as ever, but it slipped just as Tuba put forth his strength
to turn
the bow off. We struck hard, and were half full of water
in a moment.
Tuba recovered himself as speedily, shoved off the bow,
and shot the
canoe into a still, shallow place, to bail the water
out. He gave us to
understand that it was not the medicine which was at
fault that had lost
none of its virtue; the accident was owing to Tuba having
started with-
out his breakfast. Need it be said that we never let
Tuba go without that
meal again.
Among the Batokas is a body of men called in their own
language
the Go-nakeds. These men never wear an atom of any kind
of clothings
but are entirely naked, their only coat being one of
red ochre. These
Go-nakeds are rather a remarkable set of men, and why
they should
voluntarily live without clothing is not very evident.
Some travellers
think that they are a separate order among the Batoka,
but this is not at
all certain. It is not that they are devoid of vanity,
for they are extremely
fond of ornaments upon their heads, which they dress
in various fantastic
ways. The conical style has already been mentioned, but.
they have
many other fashions. One of their favorite modes is,
to plait a fillet of
bark, some two inches wide, and tie it round the head
in diadem fashion.
They then rub grease and red ochre plentifully into the
hair, and fasten
it to the fillet, which it completely covers. The head
being then shaved
as far as the edge of the fillet, the native looks as
if he were wearing a
red, polished forage-cap.
Rings of iron wire and beads are worn round the arms ;
and a fash-
ionable member of this order thinks himself scarcely
fit for society unless
he carries a pipe and a small pair of iron tongs, with
which to lift a coal
from the fire and kindle his pipe, the stem of which
is often ornamented
by being bound with polished iron wire.
Very Polite Savages.
The Go-nakeds seem to be as devoid of the sense of shame
as their
bodies are of covering. They could not in the least be
made to see that
they ought to wear clothing, and quite laughed at the
absurdity of such
an idea; evidently looking on a proposal to wear clothing
much as we
should entertain a request to dress ourselves in plate
armor.
The pipe is in constant requisition among these men, who
are seldom
seen without a pipe in their mouths, and never without
it in their posses-
sion. Yet, whenever they came into the presence of their
white visitors,
they always asked permission before lighting their pipes,
an innate
politeness being strong within them. Their tobacco is
exceedingly
powerful, and on that account is much valued by other
tribes, who will
travel great distances to purchase it from the Batoka.
It is also very
cheap, a few beads purchasing a sufficient quantity to
last even these
inveterate smokers for six months.
Their mode of smoking is very peculiar. They first take
a whiff after
the usual manner, and puff out the smoke. But, when they
have expelled
nearly the whole of the smoke, they make a kind of catch
at the last
tiny wreath, and swallow it. This they are pleased to
consider the very
essence or spirit of the tobacco, which is lost if the
smoke is exhaled in
the usual manner.
The Batoka are a polite people in their way, though they
have rather
an odd method of expressing their feelings. The ordinary
mode of sal-
utation is for the women to clap their hands and produce
that undulating
sound which has already been mentioned, and for the men
to stoop and;
clap their hands on their hips. But, when they wish to
be especially
respectful, they have another mode of salutation. They
throw them-
selves on their backs, and roll from side to side, slapping
the outside
of their thighs vigorously, and calling out " Kina-bomba
! kina-bomba !"
with great energy, which has already been described.
Livingstone says,
that he never could accustom his eyes to like the spectacle
of great naked
men wallowing on their backs and slapping themselves,
and tried to stop
them. They, however, always thought that he was not satisfied
with the
heartiness of their reception, and so rolled about and
slapped themselves,
all the more vigorously. This rolling and slapping seems
to be reserved
for the w^elcoming of great men, and, of course, whenever
the Batoka
present themselves before their chief, the performance
is doubly vigorous
Blacks who Stand on Ceremony.
When a gift is presented, it is etiquette for the donor
to hold the present
in one hand, and to slap the thigh with the other, as
he approaches the
person to whom he is about to give it. He then delivers
the gift, claps-
his hands together, sits down, and then strikes his thighs
with both hands.
The same formalities are observed when a return gift
is presented; and so
tenacious are they of this branch of etiquette, that
it is taught regularly
to children by their parents.
They are an industrious people, cultivating wonderfully
large tracts of
land with the simple but effective hoe of their country.
With this hoe,
which looks something like a large adze, they not only
break up the
ground, but perform other tasks of less importance, such
as smoothing
the earth as a foundation for their beds. Some of these
fields are so large,
that the traveller may walk for hours through the native
corn, and scarce-
ly come upon an uncultivated spot. The quantity of corn
which is grown
is very large, and the natives make such numbers of granaries,
that their
villages seem to be far more populous than is really
the case. Plenty, in
consequence, reigns among this people. But it is a rather
remarkable
fact that, in spite of the vast quantities of grain,
which they produce, they
cannot keep it in store.
The corn has too many enemies. In the first place, the
neighboring-
tribes are apt to send out maurading parties, who prefer
steaHng the corn
which their industrious neighbors have grown and stored
to cultivating
the ground for themselves. Mice, too, are very injurious
to the corn.
But against these two enemies the Batoka can tolerably
guard, by tying
up quantities of corn in bundles of grass, plastering
them over with clay,
and hiding them in the low sand islands left by the subsiding
waters of
the Zambesi.
Destructive Insects.
But the worst of all enemies is the native weevil, an
insect so small that
Tio precautions are available against its ravages, and
which, as we too
often find in this country, destoys an enormous amount
of corn in a very
;short time. It is impossible for the Batoka to preserve
their corn more
than a year, and it is as much as they can do to make
it last until the
next crop is ready.
As therefore, the whole of the annual crop must be consumed
by them-
selves or the weevil, they prefer the former, and what
they cannot eat
they make into beer, which they brew in large quantities,
and drink
abundantly; yet they seldom, if ever, intoxicate themselves,
in spite of
the quantities which they consume. This beer is called
by them either
" boala " or " pombe," just as we speak of beer or ale
; and it is sweet in
flavor, with just enough acidity to render it agreeable.
Even travellers
soon come to like it, and its effect on the natives is
to make them plump
.and well nourished. The Batoka do not content themselves
with simply
growing corn and vegetables, but even plant fruit and
oil-bearing trees
a practice which is not found among the other tribes.
Possibly on account of the plenty with which their land
is blessed,
they are a most hospitable race of men, always glad to
see guests, and
receiving them in the kindest manner. If a traveller
passes through a
village, he is continually hailed from the various huts
with invitations to
eat and drink, while the men welcome the visitor by clapping
their hands,
and the women by " lullilooing." They even feel pained
if the stranger
passes through the village without being entertained.
When he halts in
a village for the night, the inhabitants turn out to
make him conifortable;
some running to fetch fire-wood, others bringing jars
of water, while
some engage themselves in preparing the bed, and erecting
a fence to
keep off the wind.
Brave Hunters.
They are skilful and fearless hunters, and are not afraid
even of the
elephant or buffalo, going up closely to these formidable
animals, and
killing them with large spears. A complete system of
game-laws is in
operation among the Batoka, not for the purpose of prohibiting
the chase
of certain game, but in order to settle the disposal
of the game when
killed. Among them, the man who inflicts the first wound
on an animal
has the right to the spoil, no matter how trifling may
be the wound which
he inflicts. In case he does not kill the animal himself,
he is bound to
give to the hunter who inflicts the fatal wound both
legs of one side.
As to the laws which regulate ordinary life, there is
but little that calls
for special notice, except a sort of ordeal for which
they have a great
veneration. This is called the ordeal of the Muave, and
is analogous to
the corsned and similar ordeals of the early ages of
England. The dread
of witchcraft is very strong here, as in other parts
of Southern Africa;
but among the Batoka the accused has the opportunity
of clearing him-
self by drinking a poisonous preparation called muave.
Sometimes the
accused dies from the draught, and in that case his guilt
is clear ; but in
others the poison acts as an emetic, which is supposed
to prove his
innocence, the poison finding no congenial evil in the
body, and therefore
being rejected.
No one seems to be free from such an accusation, as is
clear from Living-
stone's account. Near the confluence of the Kapoe the
Mambo, or chief,
with some of his head-men, came to our sleeping-place
with a present,
Their foreheads were smeared with white flour, and an
unusual serious-
ness marked their demeanor. Shortly before our arrival
they had been
accused of witchcraft: conscious of innocence, they accepted
the ordeal,
and undertook to drink the poisoned muave. For this purpose
they made
a journey to the sacred hill of Nehomokela, on which
repose the bodies
of their ancestors, and, after a solemn appeal to the
unseen spirit to attest
the innocence of their children, they swallowed the muave,
vomited, and
were therefore declared not guilty.
Belief in Future Existence.
It is evident that they believe that the soul has a continued
existence,
and that the spirits of the departed know what those
they have left be-
hind them are doing, and are pleased or not, according
as their deeds are
good or evil. This belief is universal. The owner of
a large canoe re-
fused to sell it because it belonged to the spirit of
his father, who helped
him when he killed the hippopotamus. Another, when the
bargain for
his canoe was nearly completed, seeing a large serpent
on a branch of a
tree overhead, refused to complete the sale, alleging
that this was the
spirit of his father, come to protest against it.
Some of the Batoka believe that a medicine should be prepared
which
would cure the bite of the tsetse, that small but terrible
fly which makes
such destruction among the cattle, but has no hurtful
influence on man-
kind. This medicine was discovered by a chief, whose
son Moyara
showed it to Livingstone. It consisted chiefly of a plant,
which was ap-
parently new to botanical science. The root was peeled,
and the peel'
sliced and reduced to powder, together with a dozen or
two of the
tsetse themselves. The remainder of the plant is also
dried. When an
animal shows symptoms of having been bitten by the tsetse,
some of the
powder is administered to the animal, and the rest of
the dried plant is-
burned under it so as to fumigate it thoroughly. Moyara
did not assert
that the remedy was infallible, but only stated that
if a herd of cattle were
to stray into a district infested with the fly, some
of them would be saved
by the use of the medicine, whereas they would all die
without it.
Sweet Sounds of Music.
The Batoka are fond of using a musical instrument that
prevails, with
some modifications, over a considerable portion of Central
Africa. In its-
simplest form it consists of a board, on which are fixed
a number of flat
wooden strips, which, when pressed down and suddenly
released, pro-
duce a kind of musical tone. In fact, the principle of
the sansa is exactly
that of our musical-boxes, the only difference being
that the teeth, or
keys, of our instrument are steel and that they are sounded
by little pegs
and not by the fingers. Even among this one tribe there
are great dif-
ferences in the formation of the sansa.
The best and most elaborate form is that in which the
sounding-board
of the sansa is hollow, in order to increase the resonance;
and the keys-
are made of iron instead of wood, so that a really musical
sound is pro-
duced. Moreover, the instrument is enclosed in a hollow
calabash, for
the purpose of intensifying the sound; and both the sansa
and the cala-
bash are furnished with bits of steel and tin, which
make a jingling-
accompaniment to the music. The calabash is generally
covered with
carvings. When the sansa is used, it is held with the
hollow or orna-
mented end toward the player, and the keys are struck
with the thumbs
the rest of the hand being occupied in holding the instrument.
African Poets.
This curious instrument is used in accompanying songs.
Livingstone-
mentions that a genuine native poet attached himself
to the party, and
composed a poem in honor of the white men, singing it
whenever they
halted, and accompanying himself on the sansa. At first,
as he did not
know much about his subject, he modestly curtailed his
poem, but ex-
tended it day by day, until at last it became quite a
long ode. There was
an evident rhythm in it, each line consisting of five
syllables. Another
native poet was in the habit of solacing himself every
evening with an
extempore song, in which he enumerated everything that
the white men
had done. He was not so accomplished a poet as his brother
improvisa-
tore, and occasionally found words to fail him. However,
his sansa
helped him when he was at a loss for a word, just as
the piano helps out
an unskilled singer when at a loss for a note.
The Batoka are remarkable for their clannish feeling ;
and, when a
large party are travelling in company, those of one tribe
always keep
together, and assist each other in every difficulty.
Also, if they should
happen to come upon a village or dwelling belonging to
one of their own
tribe, they are sure of a welcome and plentiful hospitality.
The Batoka appear from all accounts to be rather a contentious
people,
quarrelsome at home and extending their strife to other
villages. In
domestic fights that is in combats between inhabitants
of the same
village the antagonists are careful not to inflict
fatal injuries. But when
village fights against village, as is sometimes the case,
the loss on both
sides may be considerable. The result of such a battle
would be exceed-
ingly disagreeable, as the two villages would always
be in a state of deadly
feud, and an inhabitant of one would not dare to go near
the other.
Chronic Liars.
The Batoka, however, have invented a plan by which the
feud is
stopped. When the victors have driven their opponents
off the field, they
take the body of one of the dead warriors, quarter it,
and perform a series
of ceremonies over it. This appears to be a kind of challenge
that they
are masters of the field. The conquered party acknowledge
their defeat
by sending a deputation to ask for the body of their
comrade, and, when
they receive it, they go through the same ceremonies;
after which peace
is supposed to be restored, and the inhabitants of the
villages may visit
each other in safety.
Livingstone's informant further said, that when a warrior
had slain an
enemy, he took the head, and placed it on an ant-hill,
until all the flesh
was taken from the bones. He then removed the lower jaw,
and wore it
as a trophy. He did not see one of these trophies worn,
and evidently
thinks that the above account may be inaccurate. Indeed,
Livingstone
expressly warns the reader against receiving with implicit
belief accounts
that are given by a native African. The dark interlocutor
amiably desires
to please, and, having no conception of truth as a principle,
says exactly
what he thinks will be most acceptable to the great white
chief, on whom
he looks as a sort of erratic supernatural being.
Ask a native whether the mountains in his own district
are lofty, or
gold is found there, and he will assuredly answer in
the affirmative. So
he will if he be asked whether unicorns live in his country,
or whether
he knows of a race of tailed men, being only anxious
to please, and not
thinking that the truth or falsehood of the answer can
be of the least
consequence. If the white sportsman shoots at an animal,
and makes a
palpable miss, his dusky attendants are sure to say that
the bullet went
through the animal's heart and that it only bounded away
for a short
distance. " He is our father," say the natives, " and
he would be dis-
pleased if we told him that he had missed." It is even
worse with the
slaves, who are often used as interpreters ; and it is
hardly possible to
induce them to interpret with any modicum of truth.
The Expedition Halts.
The travellers landed at the head of Garden Island, and,
as the doctor
had done before, peered over the giddy heights at the
further end across
the chasm. The measurement of the chasm was now taken
; it was
found to be eighty yards opposite Garden Island, while
the waterfall itself
was twice the depth of that of Niagara, and the river
where it went over
the rock fully a mile wide. Charles Livingstone, who
had seen Niagara,
pronounced it inferior in magnificence to the Victoria
Falls.
The Batokas consider Garden Island and another further
west as
sacred spots, and here, in days gone by, they assembled
to worship the
Deity.
Livingstone, on his former visit, had planted a number
of orange-
trees and seeds at Garden Island, but though a hedge
had been placed
round them, they had all been destroyed by the hippopotami.
Others
were now put in. They, as was afterwards found, shared
the same
fate.
They now proceeded up the river, and very soon met a party
from
Sekeletu, who was now at Sesheke, and had sent to welcome
them.
Afterward they entered his town. They were requested
to take up their
quarters at the kotlar, or public meeting-place tree.
During the day
visitors continually called on them, all complaining
of the misfortunes
they had suffered. The condition of Sekeletu, however,
was the most
lamentable. He had been attacked by leprosy, and it was
said that his
fingers had become like eagles' claws, and his face so
fearfully distorted
that no one could recognize him.
One of their head men had been put to death, it being
supposed that
he had bewitched the chief The native doctor could do
nothing for
him, but he was under the charge of an old doctress of
the Manyeti
tribe, who allowed no one to see him except his mother
and uncle. He,
however, sent for Dr. Livingstone, who gladly went to
him. He and Dr.
Kirk at once told him that the disease was most difficult
to cure, and that
he might rest assured that he had not been bewitched.
They applied
lunar caustic externally and hydrate of potash internally,
with satisfactory
results; so that in the course of a short time the poor
chief's appearance
greatly improved.
How a Chief Thought to Get Rid of the Falls.
Although the tribe had been suffering from famine, the
chief treated
his visitors with all the hospitality in his power. Some
Benguela traders
had come up to Sesheke, intending probably to return
from the Batoka
country to the east with slaves ; but the Makololo, however,
had secured
all the ivory in that region. As the traders found that
the trade in slaves
without ivory did not pay, they knew it would not be
profitable to obtain
them, for Sekeletu would allow no slaves to be carried
through his terri-
tory, and thus by his means an extensive slave-mart was
closed.
Sekeletu was greatly pleased with the articles the doctor
brought him
from England, and enquired whether a ship could not bring
up the
remainder of the things which had been left at Tete.
On being told that
possibly a steamer might ascend as far as Sinainanes,
he enquired whether
a cannon could not blow away the Victoria Falls, so as
to enable her to
reach Sesheke.
The Makololo, who had been sent down to Benguela, came
to pay the
travellers a visit, dressed in v/ell-washed shirts, coats
and trousers, patent
leather boots, and brown wide-awakes on their heads.
They had a long
conversation with their men about the wonderful things
they had all seen.
Sekeletu, who took a great fancy to Dr. Kirk, offered
him permission to
select any part of the country he might choose for the
establishment of
an English colony. Indeed, there is sufficient uncultivated
ground on
the cool unpeopled highlands for a very large population.
A Tribe of Cattle Stealers.
The Makololo are apt to get into trouble by their propensity
to steal
cattle ; for if their marauding is sanctioned by the
chief, they do not look
upon it as dishonorable.
The expedition left Sesheke on the 17th of September,
1860, convoyed
by Pitsane and Leshore. Pitsane was directed to form
a hedge round
the garden at the falls on his way. When navigating the
river, the canoe-
men kept close to the bank during the day for fear of
being upset by the
hippopotami, but at night, when those animals are found
near the shore,
they sailed down the middle of the stream. The canoes
were wretched,
and a strong wind blew against them, but their Batoka
boatmen man-
aged them with great dexterity. Some of these men accompanied
the
expedition the whole way to the sea.
On their passage down the river, in approaching Kariba
Rapids, they
came upon a herd of upwards of thirty hippopotami. The
canoe-men
were afraid of venturing among them, asserting that there
was sure to be
an ill-tempered one who would take a malignant pleasure
in upsetting
the canoes. Several boys on the rocks were amusing themselves
by
throwing stones at the frightened animals. One was shot,
its body float-
ing down the current. A man hailed them from the bank,
advising them
to let him pray to the Kariba gods that they might have
a safe passage
down the rapids, for, without his assistance they would
certainly be
drowned. Notwithstanding, having examined the falls,
seeing that canoes
might be caried down in safety, they continued their
voyage. The na-
tives were much astonished to see them pass in safety
without the aid of
the priest's intercession.
Recovering the Prize.
Here they found the hippopotamus which had been shot,
and, taking
it in tow, told the villagers that if they would follow
to their landing-
place, they should have most of the meat. The crocodiles,
however,
lugged so hard at it, that they were compelled to cast
it adrift and let the
current float it down. They recovered the hippopotamus,
which was cut
up at the place where they landed to spend the night.
As soon as it was
dark, the crocodiles attacked the portion that was left
in the water, tear-
ing away at it and lashing about fiercely with their
tails.
A day or two afterwards they encamped near some pitfalls,
in which
several buffaloes had shortly before been caught, and
one of the animals
ihad been left. During the night the wind blew directly
from the dead
buffalo to their sleeping-place, and a hungry lion which
came to feed on
the carcass so stirred up the putrid mass and growled
so loudly over his
feast, that their slumbers were greatly disturbed.
They reached Zumbo by the first of November. Here their
men had
a scurvy trick played them by the Banyai. The Makololo
had shot a
hippopotamus, when a number of the natives came across,
pretending to
assist them in rolling it ashore, and advised them to
cast off the rope,
saying that it was an encumbrance. All were shouting
and talking, when
suddenly the carcass disappeared in a deep hole. The
Makololo jumped
in after it, one catching the tail, another a foot, but
down it went, and
they got but a lean fowl instead. It floated during the
night, and was
found about a mile below, on the bank. The Banyai, however,
there
disputed the right to it, and, rather than quarrel, the
Makololo, after
taking a small portion, wisely allowed them to remain
with the rest.
Saved by Grasping the Rock.
Believing that there was sufficient depth of water, they
ventured down
the Kebrabasa Rapids. For several miles they continued
onward till,
the river narrowing, navigation became both difficult
and dangerous.
Two canoes passed safely down the narrow channel with
an ugly whirl-
pool, caused by the water being divided by a rock in
the centre. Living-
stone's canoe came next, and while it appeared to be
drifting broadside
into the vortex, a crash was heard, and Kirk's canoe
was seen dashed
against the perpendicular rock by a sudden boiling-up
of the river, which,
occurs at regular intervals. Kirk grasped the rock and
saved him-
self, while his steersman, holding on to the same ledge,
preserved the
canoe, but all its contents were lost, including the
doctor's notes of the
journey, and botanical drawings of the fruit-trees of
the interior. After
this the party, having had enough of navigation, performed
the remainder
of the journey on shore.
Tete was reached on the 23d of November, the expedition
having been
absent rather more than six months. They were glad to
find that the two
English sailors were in good health, and had behaved
very well; but their
farm had been a failure. A few sheep and fowls had been
left with them;
they had purchased more of the latter, and expected to
have a good
supply of eggs, but they unfortunately also bought two
monkeys, who
ate up all their eggs. Oae night a hippopotamus destroyed
their vege-
table garden, the sheep ate up their cotton-plants, while
the crocodiles
carried off the sheep, and the natives had stolen their
fowls.
Having discovered that the natives have a mortal dread
of the chame-
leon, one of which animals they had on board, they made
good use of
their knowledge. They had learned the market price of
provisions, and
determined to pay that and no more. When the traders,
therefore, de-
manded a higher price and refused to leave the sheep
till it was paid, the
chameleon was instantly brought out of the cabin, when
the natives sprang
overboard, and made no further attempt to impose upon
them. A re-
markable reptile this is, and we subjoin an accurate
description of it.
The Famous Chameleon.
One character of the chameleon consists in the tongue
being cylindri-
cal, worm-like, capable of being greatly elongated, and
terminating in
fleshy tubercle, lubricated with a viscid saliva. Another
appears in the
surface of the skin being covered with horny granules,
instead of scales.
A third is seen in the deep and compressed form of the
body, which is
surmounted by an acute dorsal ridge ; a fourth, in the
tail being round,
tapering, and capable of grasping ; and a fifth, in the
parrot-like structure
of the feet, which have each five toes, divided into
two opposing sets
three being placed outwardly and two inwardly, connected
together as
iar as the second joint, and armed with five sharp claws.
The head of these animals is very large; and from the
shortness of the
neck, it seems as if set upon the shoulders. The upper
part generally
presents an elevated central crust ; and a ridged arch
is over each orbit
to the muzzle. The internal organ of hearing is entirely
concealed. The
mouth is very wide ; the teeth are sharp, small, and
three-lobed. The
whole of the ball of each eye, except the pupil, is covered
with skin, and
ibrms a single circular eyelid, with a central orifice.
The furrow between
the ball of the eye and the edge of the orbit is very
deep; and the eye-
lid, closely attached to the ball, moves as it moves.
As each eye has an
independent power of motion, the axis of one eye may
be seen directly
upwards or backwards, while that of the other is in a
contrary direction
giving to the creature a strange and most ludicrous appearance.
The chameleon was once said to live on air ; but insects,
slugs, and
such like creatures form its food. For their seizure
its tongue is especially
adapted. With the exception of the fleshy tubercle forming
its tip, it
consists of a hollow tube, which, when withdrawn into
the throat, is
folded in upon itself, somewhat in the way in which a
pocket telescope is
shut up. When fully protruded, it reaches to a distance
at least equal to
the chameleon's body; and is launched forth and retracted
with equal
rapidity. An insect on a leaf at an apparently hopeless
distance, or a
drop of water on a twig, is gone so instantaneously,
that the spectator is
astonished. " I never knew," said an acute observer,
" a chameleon I
long kept miss his aim but once, and then the fly was
on the other side
of the glass."
Curious Shifting Colors.
The remote cause, says Weissenborn, of the difference
of color in the
two latteral halves of the chameleon may, in most cases,
be distinctly
referred to the manner in which the light acts upon the
animal.
The statement of Murray, that the side turned towards
the light is always
of a darker color, is perfectly true. This rule holds
good as well with
reference to the direct and diffused light of the sun,
or moon, as to
artificial light. Even when the animal was moving in
the walks of my
garden, and happened to come near enough to the border
to be shaded
lay the box edging, that side (so shaded) would instantly
become less
darkly colored than the other. Now, as the light in these
cases seldom
illumines exactly one lateral half of the animal in a
more powerful manner
than the other, and as the middle line is constantly
the line of demarca-
tion between the two different shades of color, we must
evidently refer
the different effects to two different centres, from
which the nervous cur-
rents can only radiate.
Over these centres, without doubt, the organ of vision
immediately pre-
sides; and, indeed, we ought not to wonder that the action
of light has
such powerful effects on the highly irritable organization
of the chameleon,
considering that the eye is most highly developed. The
lungs are but
secondarily affected ; but they are likewise more strongly
excited on the
darker side, which is constantly more convex than the
other.
An Animal Like Two Glued Together.
Notwithstanding the strictly symmetrical structure of
the chameleon,
as to its two halves, the eyes move independently of
each other, and con-
vey different impressions to their respective centres
of perception. The
consequence is that, when the animal is agitated, its
movements appear
like those of two animals glued together. Each half wishes
to move its
own way, and there is no concordance of action. The chameleon,
there-
fore, is not able to swim, like other animals: it is
so frightened, if put into
water, that the faculty of concentration is lost, and
it tumbles about as if
in a state of intoxication. On the other hand, when the
creature is undis-
turbed, the eye which receives the strongest impression
propagates it to
the common centre, and prevails upon the other eye to
follow that impres-
sion, and directs itself to the same object. The chameleon,
moreover, may
be asleep on one side and awake on the other. When cautiously
approach-
ing a specimen at night, with a candle, so as not to
awaken the whole
animal, by the shaking of the room, the eye turned towards
the flame
will open, and begin to move, and the corresponding side
to change
color; whereas the other side will remain for several
seconds longer in
its torpid and unchangeable state, with its eye shut.
It was this singular creature that produced such an effect
upon the
natives. It was regarded as something supernatural.
Livingstone found that the sailors at Tete had performed
a gallant act.
They were aroused one night by a fearful shriek, when
they immediately
pushed off in their boat, supposing, as was found to
be the case, that a
crocodile had caught a woman and was dragging her across
a shallow
bank. Before they reached her, the reptile snapped off
her leg. They
carried her on board, bandaged up her limb, bestowed
Jack's usual
remedy for all complaints, a glass of grog, on her, and
carried her to a
hut in the village. Next morning they found the bandages
torn off and
the poor creature left to die, their opinion being that
it had been done
by her master, to whom, as she had lost a leg, she would
be of no further
use, and he did not wish the expense of keeping her.
The following account is taken from the diary of an explorer
in the
Kafifir country: "Yesterday, as the men were digging
out the steamers,
which had become jammed by the floating rafts, they felt
something
struggling beneath their feet. They immediately scrambled
away in time
to avoid the large head of a crocodile that broke its
way through the
tangled mass in which it had been jammed and held prisoner
by the rafts.
The black soldiers, armed with swords and bill-hooks,
immediately
attacked the crocodile, who, although freed from imprisonment,
had not
exactly fallen into the hands of the Humane Society.
He was quickly dis-
patched, and that evening his flesh gladdened the cooking-pots
of the party.
"I was amused with the account of this adventure given
by various
officers who were eye-witnesses. One stated, in reply
to my question as
to the length of the animal, ' Well, sir, I should not
like to exaggerate
but I should say it was forty-five feet long from snout
to tail ! ' Another
witness declared it to be at least twenty feet ; but
if one were seized by
such a creature he would be disposed to think that, whatever
might be
its length, it is made up mostly of jaws."
From the graphic narrative of Mr. Grout, the missionary,
we take the
following description of an exciting adventure:
Mr. Butler, a member of our mission, narrowly escaped
from one of the
savage creatures with which the rivers abound. In going
to one of the
stations, it was necessary for him to cross the Umkomazi.
No natives
being at hand to manage the boat, he ventured to cross
on horseback,
though the water was deep and turbid. As he went over
safely, when he
returned the next day he again ventured into the river
in the same way.
When about two-thirds of the was across, his horse suddenly
kicked
and plunged, as if to disengage himself from his rider;
and the next
moment an alligator seized Mr. Butler's leg with his
horrible jaws.
The river at this place is about one hundred and fifty
yards, wide, if
measured at right angles to the current ; but from the
place we enter to
the place we go out, the distance is three times as great.
The water at
liigh tide, when the river is not swollen, is from four
to eight or ten
feet deep. On each side the banks are skirted with high
grass and reeds.
Mr. Butler, when he felt the sharp teeth of the crocodile,
clung to, the
mane of his horse with a death-hold. Instantly he was
dragged from
the saddle : and both he and the horse were floundering
in water, often
dragged entirely under, and rapidly going down stream.
At first the
alligator drew them again to the middle of the river
; but at last the horse
gained shallow water, and approached the shore. As soon
as he was
within reach, natives ran to his assistance, and beat
off the crocodile with
spears and clubs.
Horse and Rider Frightfully Mangled.
Mr. Butler was pierced with five deep gashes, and had
lost much
blood. He left all his garments, except shirt and coat,
on the opposite
shore with a native who was to follow him ; but when
the struggle
commenced, the native returned, and would not venture
into the water
again. It was now dark ; and, without garments and weak
from loss
of blood, he had seven miles to ride before he could
reach the station of
a brother missionary. He borrowed a blanket of a native
; and after two
hours succeded in reaching the station, more dead than
alive.
His horse also was terribly mangled ; a foot square of
the flesh and
skin was torn from his flanks. The animal, it is supposed,
first seized
the horse ; and when shaken ofl", he caught Mr. Butler,
first below the
knee, and then in the thigh, making five or six wounds,
from two to four
inches long, and from one-half to two and a half inches
wide. After a
severe illness, Mr. Butler recovered, but will not soon
lose the marks of
this fast and loving friend's hold upon him.
CHAPTER IX.
BATTLING WITH DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS.
Continued
in ERBzine 6099_09
