GAME LAWS. 259 



generous enough to assist and selfish enough to hinder a warm- 

 hearted traveller, as Livingstone could testify out of his own 

 experience. 



Among the troublesome features of their government, to a 

 party dependent largely on what they might chance to kill, 

 were their game laws, which differed little from those mentioned 

 as existing in other parts of the continent. The operation of 

 these laws may be illustrated by the fact that, the followers of 

 Livingstone having killed an elephant, they dared not go so far 

 as to cut it up until a messenger had been sent to the man who 

 had charge of the game of the district. The delay occasioned 

 by this formality rendered the meat almost useless before the 

 hungry party could get at it. If they had begun cutting it up 

 without this permission they would have lost the whole. On 

 this occasion certain Banyai hunters chanced to be present, and 

 exhibited a little of their national faith. One of them, wit- 

 nessing the fight of the strangers with the beast, took out his 

 snuff-box and emptied the contents at the root of a tree as an 

 offering to the spirits for success; and when the animal fell, 

 said to Dr. Livingstone, "I see you are travelling with people 

 who don't know how to pray ; I therefore offered the only thing 

 I had in their behalf and the elephant soon fell." They wor- 

 ship departed spirits, and in their reverence and devotion are 

 an example to some whose confidence and affection are claimed 

 by a higher and worthier Being. Their modest respect for 

 their Barimo contrasted strikingly with the confident and care- 

 less recognition of the Supreme Giver of All by the men from 

 the interior, who said, " God gave it to us." He said to the old 

 beast, "Go up there; men are come who will kill you." 



The inhabitants of this country call themselves Bambari, but 

 they are of the nation whose general name is Banyai. The few 

 towns and villages to which Livingstone came treated him and 

 his men kindly. They are surrounded by gardens which have 

 been reclaimed from the forests and are exceedingly fertile. 

 The abundance of insect life was truly wonderful ; almost every 

 plant has its peculiar insect. The rankest poisons, as the 

 kongwhane and euphorbia, are soon devoured. The former has 

 a scarlet insect. Even the fiery birdseye pepper, which will 

 keep off many others from its own seed, is itself devoured by a 



