256 THE SPOTTED HYENA. 



and the third to a fore-leg. The chiefs are generally entitled to 

 a share as tribute ; in some parts it is the breast, in others the 

 whole of the ribs and one fore-leg. Dr. Livingstone generally 

 respected this law, although exceptions are sometimes made when 

 animals are killed by guns. The knowledge that he who suc- 

 ceeds in reaching the wounded beast first is entitled to a share 

 stimulates the whole party to greater exertions in despatching it. 

 Among his own followers these laws were in some force. One 

 of the men having a knowledge of elephant medicine generally 

 went boldly in advance of the others, and on his decision the 

 choice depended ; and he was recognized as having a right to 

 certain parts of the elephant as the tribute to his office. 



The- huts in this section they found erected on high stages in 

 the midst of gardens. The spotted hyena is the scourge of the 

 country, and his cowardly but savage prowling makes it neces- 

 sary to sleep out of his reach. The precaution of elevated 

 resting-places serves well against the lions and elephants, who 

 are not scrupulous about disturbing the sweetest repose by 

 their dreadful intrusions. The hyena particularly is dreaded, 

 because he frequently approaches persons lying asleep and 

 makes horrid work with their features. Men are frequently 

 killed and children carried away; for though the voice of a 

 human being fills him with terror, he never unfastens his teeth 

 when once he has a taste of blood if it is possible to drag his 

 victim away. These animals prowl about under cover of the 

 darkness, uttering the most horrid yells. Their filthy gluttony 

 finds a choice repast in the worst forms of putridity. The 

 strength of its jaws is only equalled by its wonderful power of 

 digestion. It will easily crush in its teeth the largest bones of 

 an ox, and digest them without the slightest inconvenience. 

 But the people had plenty, and though under the necessity of 

 building their nests in the air like the birds, were yet quite 

 comfortable and light-hearted. Their gardens are nearly all of 

 them reclaimed from the forests, which abound in gigantic 

 trees. It is probably the peculiarly ravenous habits of their 

 sneaking enemy which explain the fact that many of these 

 large trees contain the bodies of their dead. Among the trees 

 of importance the tamarind is quite conspicuous, on account of 

 the large numbers of them and its valuable fruit. There is an- 



