IN AFRICAN FOREST AND JUNGLE 



One building was composed of a single roof merely, 

 under which cooking was done. Here also people 

 were received, and the space it covered was the 

 dining-room. 



A small house near by was for Mburu, a spirit, 

 who sometimes came to rest there during the night. 

 His bed lay on the ground, and was composed of dry 

 leaves covered with a mat. His pillow was a smooth 

 round piece of wood. In the fourth small house 

 was the idol. There were also a chicken-coop and a 

 goat-house. 



" We have chosen this spot," said Rogala, " because 

 at a certain time of the year the country is full of 

 elephants. They come to eat the leaves of a tree that 

 is more plentiful around here than in other parts of 

 the forest." 



A little further on I saw several other small houses ; 

 those belonged to Shinshooko and Alapai. 



The place was entirely deserted, for all the people 

 had gone into the forest, — the men to cut trees for 

 new plantations, and the women to attend to the 

 crops that had been planted and bring back bunches 

 of plantain or cassava roots. 



What a weird spot the hunters had chosen for their 

 home ! The little houses of bark looked small indeed 

 compared with the tall trees that surrounded them. 



31 



