100 CHIEFS & CITIES OF CENTRAL AFRICA 



proved far short of his. We had agreed together that 

 she or I must always be on sick ~ nurse duty, and, 

 accordingly, the night of the accident I had dinner 

 alone. When I had finished I went to relieve her, 

 having told Situ to keep dinner, but by the time she 

 came out it had been removed. She called him and 

 told him to bring it, but with voice trembling with 

 reproach he replied, " Massa ill." " Yes," she said, 

 " but Miss MacLeod is with him now. Bring my 

 dinner, quick." " I see Massa live to hurt his head," 

 repeated Situ. She persisted, and for some time after 

 he marked his disapproval of her callousness by 

 giving her disagreeable baths and all sorts of small 

 but potent punishments. 



One night we noticed a wide nimbus round the 

 moon, and this among many tribes is the signal for 

 a "great medicine." Some medicine men claim to 

 bring it about. They draw a large circle on the 

 ground, over which they mutter incantations, and 

 when they do it "proper" a nimbus appears in the 

 sky, and the moon is retained for a long while high 

 in the heavens. Whether or not medicine was made 

 on this occasion there is no doubt that great festival 

 was held. As we sat that night under the starry sky 

 the river wound its way towards the great lake in 

 waveless peace, and the shadows of the huts stood 

 black against the brightness of the moon — but no 

 sound broke the stillness, and it seemed an enchanted 

 city. Suddenly, in the distance, a flame shot up into 

 the sky, and another, and another, till a circle of blaz- 

 ing, leaping fire revealed a restless group of heaving 

 humanity. Then, fitfully on the soft breeze, sounds 

 were borne as of men in sorrow, singing a low chant 



