DISCOVERY OF THE VICTORIA X'YAXZA.. 97 



iacal possessions take place in the society of the blacks, 

 it is by this means they cast out devils. While on the 

 subject of superstition, it may be worth mentioning 

 what long ago struck me as a singular instance of the 

 effect of sxipernatural impression on the uncultivated 

 mind. During boyhood my old nurse used to tell 

 me with great earnestness of a wonderful abortion 

 shown about in the fairs of England, of a child born 

 with a pig's head ; and as solemnly declared that this 

 freak of nature was attributable to the child's mother 

 having taken fright at a pig when in the interesting 

 stage. The case I met in this country is still more 

 far-fetched, for the abortion was supposed to be 

 produceable by indirect influence on the wife of the 

 husband taking fright. On once shooting a pregnant 

 Kudu doe, I directed my native huntsman, a married 

 man, to dissect her womb and expose the embryo ; 

 but he shrank from the work with horror, fearing lest 

 the sight of the kid, striking his mind, should have 

 an influence on his wife's future bearing, by meta- 

 morphosing her progeny to the likeness of a fawn. 



We bade Kurua adieu in the early morning of the 

 19th, as a caravan of his had just arrived from Karag- 

 wah, and appointed to meet at the second station, as 

 marching with cattle would be slow work for him. 

 Our march lasted -nine miles. The succeeding day 

 we passed Ukumbi, and arrived at Uyombo. On the 

 way I was obliged to abandon one of the donkeys, 

 as he was completely used up. This made up our 



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