136 B ATOKA KliMEDY TOE TSETSE-BITE. 



Tsetse near the Valley of the Zambesi, to the west of 

 Zumbo. — " We left the river here, a.nd proceeded up the 

 valley which leads to the Mburuma or Mohango pass. . . . 

 Tsetse-flies are more numerous and troublesome than we 

 have ever before found them. They accompany us on the 

 march, often buzzing round our heads like a swarm of 

 bees. They are very cunning, and when intending to 

 bite, alight so gently that their presence is not perceived 

 till they thrust in their lance-like proboscis. The bite is 

 acute, but the pain is over in a moment ; it is followed by 

 a little of the disagreeable itching of the mosquito's bite. 

 This fly invariably kills all domestic animals except goats 

 and donkeys ; man and the wild animals escape. We 

 ourselves were severely bitten on this pass, and so were 

 our donkeys, but neither sufiered from any after effects " 

 (pp. 206-207). 



Batoka remed/j for Tsetse-bite. — "Another [Batoka] 



Chief, who died a number of years ago, believed that he 



had discovered a remedy for Tsetse-bitten cattle ; his son 



Moyara showed us a plant, which was new to our botanist, 



and likewise told us how the medicine was prepared ; the 



bark of the root, and, what might please our homoeopathic 



friends, a dozen of the Tsetse are dried and ground 



together into a fine powder. This mixture is administered 



internally, and the cattle are fumigated by burning under 



them the rest of the plant collected. The treatment must 



be continued for weeks, whenever the symptoms of poison 



appear. This medicine, he frankly admitted, would not 



cure all the bitten cattle. ' For,' said he, ' cattle, and 



men too, die in spite of medicine ; but should a herd by 



accident stray into a Tsetse district and be bitten, by this 



medicine of my father's, Kampakampa, some of them could 



be saved, while, without it, all would inevitably die.' 



He stipulated that we were not to show the medicine to 



other peoj^le, and if ever we needed it in this region we 



must employ him ; but if we were far off we might make 



it ourselves ; and when we saw it cure the cattle think of 



him, and send him a present" (pp. 232-233). 



Native ideas of mode of reproduction of the Tsetse.— 

 " Our distinguished countx'yman, Professor Owen, recom- 

 mended our attention to be directed to the genesis of the 

 Tsetse, in order to discover a means for the extirpation 



