90 MATABELE LAND. 
Some of the latter Frank Oates describes at the 
Umvungu in his Journal : — " There is a kind of fruit 
growing in trees here," he says, "which the boys 
get very eagerly. It is really excellent. It is about 
the size of a large walnut, with a hard case 
cleft in four, inside which are glutinous woody fibre 
and seeds. The seeds are thrown away, and the 
fibre chewed. The latter contains a large quantity 
of sweet glutinous matter, the part rejected looking 
just like wood. There is also another excellent 
fruit," he continues, "not uncommon, which grows 
on a small tree, and is larger than a very fine orange. 
In shape it is spherical, and the outer case, which is 
hard, is easily broken, and the contents laid bare. 
The pulp that surrounds the seeds is the part eaten. 
This is brown in colour, and deliciously acid in 
flavour, reminding one a little of roasted apple. 
The pulp of one of these fruits forms quite a refresh- 
ing little repast. I believe they are common near 
Pretoria, — so John tells me, — and no doubt are 
found all over the veldt. The boys always make a 
great rush to get them. When quite mature the 
outer rind is yellow, and they seem to fall to the 
ground as soon as they are thoroughly ripe." 
The description of the first of these fruits 
corresponds closely, it may be remarked, with that 
of a fruit named " maneko," which was met with 
by Livingstone near the Zambesi, in the centre 
of the continent. The last-named is of frequent 
occurrence in Zululand, where it is called "inhlala" 
