216 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



kneeling position, like an Indian elephant kneeling for 

 people to mount into the howdahs, was said to be an old 

 chief who had turned into an elephant, and that he was 

 kneeling to ask forgiveness or pity for past misdeeds to his 

 fellow men. This was rather a quaint and interesting idea 

 I thought. 



Hyaenas which came to feed on the elephant were the 

 dead followers of the chief who had collected to bewail his 

 loss ; so the natives imbue the most ordinary happenings 

 with superstitious ideas. 



After an Angoni raid against an enemy, such as the 

 Achewa tribe, the captured slaves, cattle, and other live- 

 stock, would be sent ahead, followed by the warriors 

 chanting songs of victory. Many dances would take place, 

 much native beer be consumed, and cattle, sheep, and 

 goats be slaughtered for a big feast. 



But if a chief had been killed, a herald was sent in front 

 to the village, where he placed the shield of the dead 

 warrior near the door of his hut. He walked slowly and 

 with his head bent on his chest, and the people knew 

 their chief was dead, and the maliro, or wake, for the 

 departed began, and lasted for many days, according to 

 the importance of the chief. The widows would not marry 

 again for, perhaps, five years, and all this time they would 

 not wash their bodies, as by doing so it was believed that 

 they were trying to make themselves clean and beautiful, 

 and were anxious to marry again. Cattle and goats were 

 killed, and the widows wore strips of skin or mat round 

 their heads and waists ; and often bark string is used as a 

 mourning band. I have not heard that within the last 

 hundred years any chief has been accompanied to " The 

 Happy Hunting Grounds" by an escort of slaughtered wives 

 and slaves, as used to be customary in parts of West 

 Africa. 



A chief's grave was often zealously watched for some 

 months, so that body snatchers did not dig him up. 



Some madmen are said to dig up bodies to get certain 

 organs with which to manufacture witchcraft medicines, 



