A KAKUAK VILLAGE. 371 



space, with a smooth floor of red clay, used for house-work and 

 dancing. The huts, which were much more roomy and larger 

 than those in Fajelii, had walls of straw mats, plaited in the 

 pattern of chess-boards, just like those I had formerly seen in 

 Bufi ; the roofs were bell-shaped. The thorn hedge which 

 surrounded the village was overgrown with beans, one of 

 which, having black seeds, appeared to be wonderfully fruit- 

 ful, for each pod contained between fifteen and seventeen seeds. 

 Yams were grown inside the zeriha. Goats, dogs, and fowls 

 were the only domesticated animals visible. The goats were 

 gaunt animals, having rather long legs and smooth nose and 

 breasts. Most of them were white or brown ; they are said to 

 be very prolific. The dogs were small, of a very compact 

 build, with erect ears and tails, the latter being curled at the 

 tips ; they were mostly grey or tan-coloured. The fowls were 

 small, and had very bright feathers. 



As the chief of the village was hors de combat, owing to a 

 buffalo wound in his thigh, the sceptre was for a time in the 

 hands of his first and very intelligent wife, who understood 

 perfectly well how to command. All the beauties of the 

 place, ornamented with masses of iron and a few leaves, 

 honoured me by considerable attention, especially an old 

 woman, who did all she could to attract my notice. I could 

 not understand at first why she did it, but this was soon ex- 

 plained by my being told that the daughter of this old woman 

 had been set at liberty by me in Amadi last year ; she was 

 one of the slaves I had found there, and she had returned to 

 her mother. Before the huts were straw plates containing a 

 great quantity of caterpillars, about two inches long, which, 

 after being freed from their hairs and lightly roasted in the 

 fire, are considered an excellent dish. 



The brushwood near Abutu showed evident signs of a recent 

 visit of elephants ; they had certainly not improved our road, 

 which, after leaving the village of Mbala, led past innumerable 

 zeribas and villages. I had never seen so many buildings to- 

 gether except in Uganda, and the resemblance to that country 

 was increased by the cultivation, for there were extensive fields of 

 sweet potatoes, chiefly of the white-skinned species, and manioc 

 grew everywhere, while bananas and tobacco were extensively 



