476 THE TRUE SPIRIT. 



of firearms ; for this reason Livingstone believed they were not 

 Zulus at all, though they adopted some of their ways. 



In going on to the village of Mapuio's several large villages 

 were passed, each surrounded by hedges of euphobia, and had 

 large shade trees. When they arrived, Mapuio sent a calabash 

 of fresh-made beer, gave them a hut, and promised to cook for 

 them in the evening. They had to employ five or six carriers, 

 and they generally rule the length of the day. Those from 

 Chimuna's village growled at the calico paid them, but a few 

 beads pleased them perfectly, and they parted good friends. 



At this point Livingstone speaks of loving to please them, as 

 it is not likely he "will ever see them again, and it is right to 

 consider their desires. Is that not what is meant by ' Blessed 

 is he that considereth the poor ' ? " In cases of milando they 

 rely on their most distant friends and relatives, and are seldom 

 disappointed, though time at certain seasons — at present, for 

 instance — is precious. Delicate features are here seen, and 

 small hands and feet. Ornaments are scarce; the men have 

 large slits in the lobe of the ear ; the women indulge in this 

 painful luxury more than the men, probably for this reason. 



They spent October 28th with Mapuio, and the next day- 

 Monday — went westward to Makosa's village through an ill- 

 peopled country. The morning was lovely, the whole country 

 bathed in bright sunlight, and not a breath of air disturbed the 

 smoke as it slowly curled up from the heaps of burning weeds, 

 which the native agriculturist wisely destroys. The people 

 generally were busy hoeing in the cool of the day. One old 

 man in a village where they rested had trained the little hair he 

 had left into a tail, which, well plastered with fat, he had bent 

 on itself and laid flat on his crown ; another was carefully 

 paring a stick for stirring the porridge, and others were enjoy- 

 ing the cool shade of the wild fig trees which are always planted 

 at villages. It is a sacred tree all over Africa and India, and 

 the tender roots which drop dowm towards the ground are used 

 as medicine — a universal remedy. Can it be a tradition of its 

 being like the tree of life, which Archbishop Whately conjec- 

 tures may have been used in Paradise to render man immortal ? 

 One kind of fig tree is often seen hacked all over to get the sap, 

 which is used as bird-lime ; bark-cloth is made of it too. 



