COLONY OF BIRDS 31 J 



CHAPTBE XXV. 



DR. LIVINGSTONE PREPARES FOR HIS JOURNEY TO THE EAST 



COAST. 



On the 31st of July we parted with our kind Libonta 

 friends. We planted some of our palm-tree seeds in differ- 

 ent villages of this valley. They began to sprout even 

 while we were there ; but, unfortunately, they were always 

 destroyed by the mice which swarm in every hut. 



At Chitlane's village we collected the young of a colony 

 of the linkololo (Anastomus lamalligerus,) a black, long- 

 legged bird, somewhat larger than a crow, which lives on 

 6hell-fish (Ampullaria) and breeds in society at certain 

 localities among the reeds. These places are well known, 

 as they continue there from year to year, and belong to the 

 chiefs, who at particular times of the year gather most 

 of the young. The produce of this "harvest," as they 

 call it, which was presented to me, was a hundred and 

 seventy -five unfledged birds. They had been rather late 

 in collecting them, in consequence of waiting for the 

 arrival of Mpololo, who acts the part of chief, but gave 

 them to me, knowing that this would be pleasing to him. 

 otherwise this colony would have yielded double the 

 amount. The old ones appear along the Leeambye in vast 

 flocks, and look lean and scraggy. The young are very 

 fat, and, when roasted, are esteemed one of the dainties of 

 the Barotse valley. In presents of this kind, as well as of 

 oxen, it is a sort of feast of joy, the person to whom they 

 are presented having the honor of distributing the mate- 

 rials of the feast. We generally slaughtered every ox at 

 the village where it was presented, and then our frieuds 

 and we rejoiced together. 



The village of Chitlane is situated, like all others in the 

 iTVrotse valley, on an eminence, over which floods do not 



