Chap. XVIII. DEMAND FOE GUNPOWDER AND CALICO. 331 



that the weak and helpless may injure them by their medical 

 knowledge. They have many fears. A man at one of the 

 villages we came to, showed us the grave of his child, and 

 with much apparent feeling, told us she had been burned to 

 death in her hut. He had come with all his family, and built 

 huts around it in order to weep for her. He thought, if the 

 grave were left unwatched, the witches would come and bewitch 

 them by putting medicines on the body. They have a more 

 decided belief in the continued existence of departed spirits than 

 any of the more southerly tribes. Even the Barotse possess it 

 in a strong degree, for one of my men of that tribe, on expe- 

 riencing headache, said, with a sad and thoughtful countenance, 

 "My father is scolding me because I do not give him any of 

 the food I eat." I asked where his father was. " Among the 

 Barimo," was the reply. 



When we wished to move on, Kabinje refused a guide to the 

 next village, because he was at war with it; but after much 

 persuasion he consented, provided that the guide should be 

 allowed to return as soon as he came in sight of the enemy's 

 village. This we felt to be a misfortune, as the people all sus- 

 pect a man who comes telling his own tale ; but there being 

 no help for it, we went on and found the headman of a village 

 on the rivulet Kalomba, called Kangdnke, a very different man 

 from what his enemy represented. We found too that the idea 

 of buying and selling, took the place of giving for friendship. 

 As I had nothing with which to purchase food except a parcel 

 of beads which were preserved for worse times, I began to fear 

 that we should soon be compelled to suffer more from hunger 

 than we had done. The people demanded gunpowder for 

 everything. If we had possessed any quantity of that article 

 Ave should have got on well, for here it is of great value. On 

 our return, near this spot we found a good-sized fowl was sold 

 for a single charge of gunpowder. Next to that, English calico 

 was in great demand, and so were beads ; but money was of no 

 value whatever. Gold is quite unknown ; it is thought to be 

 brass ; trade is carried on by barter alone. The people know 

 nothing of money. A purse-proud person would here feel the 

 ground move from beneath his feet. Occasionally a large piece 

 of copper, in the shape of a St. Andrew's cross, is offered for sale. 



