THE HOPO AGAIX. 473 



mens of the ficus Indica. One of these is owned by the head 

 man Theresa, and there they spent the night after travelling 

 only a few miles. It was found necessary to make very short 

 marches, for the sun was powerful, and the soil baked hard, very 

 trying on the feet : there was no want of water, however, as 

 they came to supplies every mile or two. 



The people seemed very poor, having few or no beads ; the 

 only ornaments being lines and cuttings on the skin. They 

 trust more to buaze than cotton. But two cotton patches were 

 noticed. The women were decidedly plain ; but monopolize all 

 the buaze cloth. Theresa was excessively liberal, and having 

 informed them that Zomba lived some distance up the range and 

 was not the principal man in these parts, to avoid climbing the 

 hills, the party turned away to the north, in the direction of 

 the paramount chief, Chisumpi, whom they found to be only 

 traditionally great. 



In passing along they came to a village embowered in trees. 

 The head man, a fine specimen of Kanthunda, tall, well-made, 

 fine forehead and Assyrian nose, proposed to them to stay all 

 night, but they declined, and after a long, hot journey they 

 reached Chitokola's village, a pleasant one on the east side of 

 Adiampwe valley. Many elephants and other animals feed in 

 the valley, and the Bechuana hopo was seen again after many 

 years. The hopo, you remember, is a funnel-shaped fence 

 which encloses a considerable tract of country ; a " drive " is 

 organized and animals of all descriptions are urged on until they 

 become jammed together in the neck of the hopo, where they 

 are speared to death, or else destroyed in a number of pitfalls 

 placed there for the purpose. In this neighborhood the 

 Nyumbo plant was noticed, bearing a pea-shaped or rather 

 papilionaceous flower with a fine scent. It grows quite wild 

 and its flowers are yellow. Chaola is the poison used by the 

 Maravi for their arrows; it is said to cause mortification. 



It is so cold in this climate that the huts are built with a 

 coating of plaster, put on the outside of the roof before the 

 grass thatch is applied. Chitikola was absent from Paritala, 

 when they arrived, to settle a milando, a full day's journey oh 1 '. 

 These milandos are petty lawsuits, generally caused by the 

 women. This was caused by a person taking a few ears of 



