xxxi SOME PECULIAR FOODS 281 



them. Before the above process, the fruit of the 

 acca is a slow poison : severe stomachic pains follow 

 on eating them, and death ensues in about ten hours. 



In times of lean harvests, the itching buffalo bean, 

 called by most tribes the upupu, by the Angoni, 

 chepungu, and the Wyao, lequania, is prepared and 

 used as an article of food. 



A species of wild potato, called by the Mwera, 

 matuku, and by the Angoni, mepama, is found in the 

 bush. It is perfectly white in colour, almost tasteless, 

 and of the same texture as an ordinary potato. The 

 method of cooking is exactly similar to that adopted 

 in the case of cultivated potatoes. 



Msindaeka is the name given to a herb closely 

 resembling spinach, of which there are several wild 

 varieties, while many kinds of grass such as timbaw- 

 eesi, mlinda and kalialikamoschie are prepared and 

 eaten as vegetables. 



