Palm-wine 



They were provided with conical caps of woven 

 grass to protect them from the rays of the sun ; 

 beneath this cap a leaf had been cut off short to 

 the bole, which left a primitive sort of spout, 

 down which trickled slowly the sap of the palm, 

 which was caught in a small calabash hung 

 beneath for that purpose. The natives visit 

 these trees in the morning, collecting the sap 

 that has accumulated during the night from the 

 various gourds. They cut off from the top of 

 the tree with a sharp knife the thinnest possible 

 slice. This permits the sap to flow the more 

 easily, and removes that portion which may have 

 become more or less withered and dried up 

 owing to the heat. After a short time the tree 

 gives no more juice, and dies from the treatment 

 received. This palm-wine is largely drunk by 

 the natives. When fresh I liked it immensely, 

 and it is very refreshing, but when it has been 

 kept for a day or so it becomes more or less 

 fermented and sour. I found then that a little 

 of it went some way, for it was apt to get into 

 one's head. 



I proposed returning to my main camp on 

 the morrow, but that night lions were so numer- 

 ous, and came so close to my tent, roaring and 

 disturbing us generally, that I decided to have 

 one more day here. I had visited daily the 

 different buffalo carcasses we had killed a week 

 previously ; this, too, at dawn on most days, 

 K 129 



