Chap. XVI. FAIE DEALING OP MOEMBA. 319 



and, before anything of the sort was proposed, came and 

 asked that he and his people might be " sundayed " as well 

 as his neighbours ; and be given a little seed wheat, and 

 fruit-tree seeds ; with which request of course we very will- 

 ingly complied. The idea of praying direct to the Supreme 

 Being, though not quite new to all, seems to strike their 

 minds so forcibly that it will not be forgotten. Sinamane 

 said that he prayed to God, Morungo, and made drink-offer- 

 ings to him. Though he had heard of us, he had never seen 

 white men before. 



When bargaining with Moemba for canoes, we were grati- 

 fied to observe, that he wished to deal fairly and honour- 

 ably with us. " Our price was large ; but he had only two 

 spare canoes. One was good, — he would sell that ; the other 

 he would not sell us, because it had a bad trick of capsizing, 

 and spilling whatever was inside it into the river ; he would 

 lend us his own two large ones, until we could buy others 

 below." The best canoes are made from a large species of 

 thorny acacia. These trees were now in seed ; and some of 

 the natives boiled the pods in water, and mixed the decoc- 

 tion with their beer, to increase its intoxicating qualities. 

 In times of great hunger the beans too are eaten, though 

 very astringent. 



We touched at Makonde's village to buy a canoe. They 

 were having a gay time, singing, dancing, and drinking their 

 beer extra strong. A large potful was at once brought to 

 us. The Chief spoke but little ; his orator did the talking 

 and trading for him, and seemed anxious to show him how 

 cleverly he could do both. Many tiny stockades stand on 

 the edge of the river; they are built there to protect the 

 women from the crocodiles, while filling their waterpots. 

 This is in advance of the Portuguese ; for, although many 

 women are annually carried off by crocodiles at Senna and 



