THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 311 



considered a handsome price for an elephant's tusk worth in 

 England $150. 



AFRICAN ETIQUETTE. 



AFTER leaving Shinte, Livingstone proceeded northward, and 

 he observed that the guides furnished him at the various villages 

 had much more etiquette than any of the tribes further south. 

 They would not partake of food which they had given to his 

 party, nor would they eat their own food in their presence. 

 When it was cooked they retired into a thicket and ate their por- 

 ridge ; then all stood up and clapped their hands and praised 

 Intemese for it. 



The dress of the Balonda men consists of the softened skins 

 of small animals, as the jackal or wild cat, hung before and behind 

 from a girdle round the loins. The dress of the women is of a 

 nondescript character ; but they were not immodest. They stand 

 before strangers perfectly unconscious of any indecorum. But, 

 while ignorant of their own deficiency, they could not maintain 

 their gravity at the sight of the nudity of Livingstone's men 

 behind. Much to their annoyance the young girls laughed out- 

 right whenever their backs were turned to them. 



THE TAILLESS OX. 



WHILE passing through a village governed by a chief named 

 Tonga Panza one of the guides deserted, and stealing some articles 

 from the chief, made off. The chief held Livingstone responsible 

 for the loss of his property, as he had brought the thief into the 

 country, and the controversy came near ending in a row ; but in 

 order to avoid such a calamity, Livingstone agreed to give Panza 

 an ox in place of the stolen articles. It happened that the ox had 

 lost part of his tail, which led the natives to suspect that it had 

 been purposely cut off and some witchcraft medicine inserted, 

 whereupon they rejected the ox and another had to be substi- 

 tuted. Livingstone now had only four oxen left, and, seizing 

 upon the idea which this incident had suggested, he had his men 

 cut off a part of each of their tails, in which " magical" con- 

 dition he had no difficulty in retaining them. 



