132 THE PLAGUE IN ASHIRA-LAND. Chap. VII. 



and, instead of accusing me of causing his death, 

 consoled me, saying that ahhough Olenda was dead, 

 his clan had not died with him ; he had left people 

 behind him, and they would carry out his wishes, 

 and see that I had porters to take my baggage to 

 Otando. This day Macondai fell ill. A high fever, 

 the precursor of the small-pox, seized him, and for a 

 week I knew not whether I should lose my beloved 

 boy, as the eruption did not come out. And now 

 I was indeed alone, with no one to help me. I 

 had to fetch water, to search for firewood, and to 

 cook for myself, as well as for all my poor stricken 

 followers. 



The villagers exerted themselves to procure food 

 for me. Those who were now well enough crept 

 towards the plantation to get plantains for me ; and 

 even the invalids, men and women, sent me offerings 

 of food, saying, " We do not want our stranger to be 

 hungry." 



Poor Olenda was buried in the cemetery of the 

 chiefs of the Ademba clan, the clan of Ashira over 

 which he had been the head. I say buried, although 

 this term hardly applies to the custom followed by 

 these people of exjoosing the corpse above-ground. 

 The cemetery was in a little grove of trees just out- 

 side the village. I gave the people powder to fire 

 a salute at the funeral, and they came and begged 

 from me an umbrella to bury with him, this being 

 an article which it was thought very necessary and 

 desirable to bury with their chief. There was great 

 grief on the burial-day ; the women shaved their 

 heads, dressed themselves in rags, and besmeared 



