180 CHICOVA PLAINS. Chap. VIII. 



on the days when it is solely to supply their wants that, in- 

 stead of resting ourselves, we go at all. Like those who 

 perform benevolent deeds at home, the tired hunter, though 

 trying hard to live in charity with all men, is strongly 

 tempted to give it up by bringing only sufficient meat for 

 the three whites and leaving the rest; thus sending the 

 "idle ungrateful poor" supperless to bed. And yet it is 

 only by continuance in well-doing, even to the length of 

 what the worldly-wise call weakness, that the conviction is 

 produced anywhere, that our motives are high enough to 

 secure sincere respect. 



The Chicova plains are very fertile, have rich dark soil, and 

 formerly supported a numerous population ; but desolating wars 

 and slaving had swept away most of the inhabitants. In spite 

 of a rank growth of weeds, cotton still remains in the deserted 

 gardens of ruined villages. A jungle of mimosa, ebony, and 

 " wait-a-bit" thorn lies between the Chicova flats and the cul- 

 tivated plain, on which stand the villages of the Chief, Chitora. 

 He brought us a present of food and drink, because, as he, with 

 the innate politeness of an African, said, he " did not wish us 

 to sleep hungry : he had heard of the Doctor when he passed 

 down, and had a great desire to see and converse with him ; 

 but he was a child then, and could not speak in the presence 

 of great men. He was glad that he had seen the English 

 now, and was sorry that his people were away, or he should 

 have made them cook for us." All his subsequent conduct 

 showed him to be sincere. 



Many of the African women are particular about the water 

 they use for drinking and cooking, and prefer that which is 

 filtered through sand. To secure this, they scrape holes 

 in the sandbanks beside the stream, and scoop up the water, 

 which slowly filters through, rather than take it from the 



