THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 371 



to visit the country, since their chief trade in the southwest was 

 now destroyed, at least for a time, by the wars then waging. 



A native of Kasinge was engaged by Livingstone to act as 

 guide, and on August 4 the party started on the land journey. 

 There was no incident worthy of record until September 2d, when 

 they reached Katemba, fairly exhausted from continual traveling. 

 Game was plentiful in the vicinity of Katemba, especially buffa- 

 loes and elephants. One of the latter was killed, and Living- 

 stone had the heart cooked for himself, and found it a surpis- 

 ingly savory dish. On the 9th another stop was made to shoot 

 elephants and buffaloes, which were so abundant that they were 

 scarcely ever out of sight from the wayside. 



On arriving at Bamberre, Livingstone found a singular country 

 and a curious people. The roadways were all good, and appeared 

 to have been used for hundreds of years, as indicated by worn 

 passages in the 1'ocks, sometimes two or more feet deep. The 

 forests were so dense that nothing but wild animals could pene- 

 trate them, so that though game is wonderfully plentiful, it is 

 almost impossible to shoot. The people tattoo themselves with 

 figures of crocodiles, elephants, and other animals. The houses 

 are all kept well filled with firewood on shelves, and each has a 

 bed on a raised platform in an inner room. They were so simple 

 and unused to strangers that on the appearance of the white 

 traveler they thought he had come from another world to kill 

 them. They have little wooden idols and charms, and believe in 

 the eflScacy of the beetle to prevent harm. There is a wood in 

 this country which, when burned, emits a horrible fecal odor, 

 .and, as Livingstone says, "one would think the camp polluted 

 if the fire were made of it." 



SOLDIER-ANTS. 



LIVINGSTONE'S quarters were very comfortable at Manyuema, 

 and he improved in health and flesh rapidly. The only incon- 

 venience suffered was from the depredations of soldier-ants, which 

 filled his hut and not only destroyed every kind of food within 

 their reach, but at times they would even attack the occupants. 

 But these ants have deadly enemies in what is called the sirufu 



