HOW TO OBTAIN HONEY. 165 



horse disturbs the position of the creeper-hung branches, 

 his course may long be traced by the extra perfume which 

 these African weeds then send forth. Frequently, during 

 my pursuit of wounded game, I have stopped, and turned 

 my attention from the blood-stained footprints, which stir 

 the savage half of man's nature, and have become almost 

 romantic, whilst regarding the grace and beauty of some 

 vegetable gem, adorned with flowers of dazzling brilliancy 

 and leaves of luxuriant growth. 



My savage companions could not sympathize in the 

 more refined feelings thus brought out. They could see 

 but a "muti" (tree or plant), and, as it was neither fit for 

 food or physic, they were frequently disposed to consider 

 me weak for examining a plant that, although as dirt to 

 the savage, would still have obtained the prize at our best 

 botanic fetes. These barbarians could see nothing either 

 to wonder at or to gratify them in a simple flower, and, 

 like many a white man, they considered that, as it was 

 not useful or good either for eating, drinking, or physic- 

 ing, it must necessarily be beneath the notice of a wise 

 man. 



The wild honey that was found in the bush was very 

 delicious. It was taken from the owners in the coolest 

 manner ; coolness, in fact, being the best defence. 



While walking with my Kaffir, he would suddenly look 

 up with a very knowing expression, and the usual " et- 

 her/' indicative of a satisfactory discovery ; this discovery 

 perhaps being nothing more than a common bee. It would 

 be alarmed, and its line of flight watched ; we would 

 follow the direction that it took, and then look out for 



