216 FAMILIES FLITTING. Chap. X. 



different kinds of wild animals, have a prejudice against 

 the fat of the eland, the pallah, the zebra, hippopotamus, 

 and pig: they never reject it however, the climate mak- 

 ing the desire for all animal food very strong; but they 

 consider that it causes ulcers and leprosy, while the fat of 

 sheep and of oxen never produces any bad effects, unless the 

 animal is diseased. 



We frequently meet families flitting from one place to 

 another, marching, like ourselves, in single file. The father 

 and husband at the head, carrying his bow and arrow, 

 bag, hatchet, and spear, and little else ; next his son or 

 sons, armed also, but carrying loads ; then follow wife and 

 daughters, with bulky loads of household gear on their 

 heads. They meet us without fear, or any of the cringing- 

 ways of slaves, so common down the river, where the institu- 

 tion has been established. When we kill any animal these 

 travelling parties are made welcome to a good portion 

 of meat. At the foot or on the branches of the great 

 Avild fig-tree, at the public meeting-place of every village, 

 a collection of the magnificent horns of buffaloes and 

 antelopes shows the proud trophies of the hunter's success in 

 the chase. At these spots were some of the most splendid 

 buffalo heads we have ever seen : the horns after making a 

 complete circle had commenced a second turn. This would 

 be a rich country for a horn fancier. 



On the morning of the 9th, after passing four villages, we 

 breakfasted at an old friend's, Tombanyama, who lives now 

 on the mainland, having resigned the reedy island, where he 

 was first seen, to the buffaloes, which used to take his crops 

 and show fight to his men. He keeps a large flock of 

 tame pigeons, and some fine fat capons, one of which he 

 gave us, with a basket of meal. They have plenty of salt 



