INCREASE OF SUPERSTITION. 157 



have none of these in the country; and even though they 

 had, as Herodotus remarked, " the African sheep are clothed 

 with hair, and men's heads with wool." So I had to be 

 content with asserting that mine wa-s the real original hair, 

 such as theirs would have been had it not been scorched 

 and frizzled by the sun. In proof of what the sun could 

 do, I compared my own bronzed face and hands, then about 

 the same in complexion as the lighter-colored Makololo, 

 with the white skin of my chest. They readily believed 

 that, as they go nearly naked and fully exposed to that 

 influence, we might be of common origin after all. Here, 

 as everywhere when heat and moisture are combined, the 

 people are very dark, but not quite black. There is always 

 a shade of brown in the most deeply colored. I showed 

 my watch and pocket-compass, which are considered great 

 curiosities; but, though the lady was called on by her hus- 

 band to look, she would not be persuaded to approach near 

 enough. 



These people are more superstitious than any we had 

 yet encountered : though still only building their village, 

 they had found time to erect two little sheds at the chief 

 dwelling in it, in which were placed two pots having charms 

 in them. When asked what medicine they contained, they 

 replied, "Medicine for the Barimo;" but when I rose and 

 looked into them they said they were medicine for the 

 game. Here we saw the first evidence of the existence of 

 idolatry, in the remains of an old idol at a deserted village. 

 It was simply a human head caiwed on a block of wood. 

 Certain charms mixed with red ochre and white pipe-clay 

 are dotted over them when they are in use; and a crooked 

 stick is used in the same way for an idol when they have 

 no professional carver. 



As the Leeba seemed still to come from the direction in 

 \vhich we wished to go, I was desirous of proceeding far- 

 ther up with the canoes; but Nyamoana was anxious that 

 we should allow her people to conduct us to her brother 

 Shinte; and, when I explained to her the advantage of 



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