A Thousand Miles in a MachiUa 



the taste of a medlar, in which the natives delighted. 

 The fruit grew in bunches on a tree with large 

 leaves resembling those of a magnolia, locally known 

 as msuko {uapaca kirkiana). It is to be found all 

 over Rhodesia and right down to the coast. 



At the first break in the rain we stopped for 

 breakfast; and while eating, seated on the driest 

 rocks we could find, our men scattered all over the 

 country-side collecting fruit, so that there was some 

 difficulty in getting them together again when it was 

 time to move on. Soon afterwards we struck the 

 head waters of the Mkushi river — in the prevailing 

 weather already a strong stream ten yards or more 

 in breadth — and after crossing followed its course 

 southwards, until about ii a.m. we reached the first 

 North- West Rhodesian village. 



The natives were very pleased to see us, and 

 were more intelligent than those who lived on the 

 other side of the hills. The chief came to call, and 

 later in the day a number of women — who would 

 have been nice-looking but for the disfiguring lip 

 ornament — arrived with eggs, chickens, a fair 

 amount of flour, and small baskets of dried beans, 

 which they bartered for salt and calico. 



Towards evening a woman appeared, a most 

 curious-looking object, seemingly for some reason 

 or other very shy. She wore the usual dress, but 

 her head and shoulders were covered with white 

 wood ashes, and in her hand she had a grass petti- 

 coat and some dried seed vessels threaded together, 

 which we discovered later were anklets. She was 

 accompanied by two lads, her sons, carrying native 



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