424 GENESIS OF THE TSETSE. Chap. XXI. 



but white men bad medicine for everything. " They could 

 even make a woman, all except the speaking; look at that 

 one on the figure-head of the vessel." The unbelievers were 

 astonished, and could hardly believe their eyes, when they 

 saw the ship float lightly and gracefully on the river, instead 

 of going to the bottom, as they so confidently predicted. 

 " Truly," they said, " these men have powerful medicine." 



Our distinguished countryman, Professor Owen, recom- 

 mended our attention to be directed to the genesis of the 

 tsetse, in order to discover a means for the extirpation of 

 this pest. We frequently inquired of the different tribes if 

 they could help us in our inquiries ; and one of the Makololo 

 remembered that this very question was once under public dis- 

 cussion at Linyanti, and as usual a bet was laid that no one 

 could tell. After a number of days had elapsed, an old man 

 claimed the prize, asserting that the tsetse laid its eggs, which 

 were of a red colour, on the leaves of the mopane-tree. These 

 were probably only the eggs of an insect described in the 

 ' Missionary Travels ' as depositing over its eggs a sweet gum, 

 which is collected and eaten. Some denied that he had seen 

 them ; others affirmed that the red eggs were laid on the 

 twigs of trees, and not on the leaves ; and others insisted that 

 the eggs were placed in the droppings of buffaloes, and these 

 last were probably in the right. The destruction of all game 

 by the advance of civilization is the only chance of getting 

 rid of the tsetse. 



We remember to have heard a furious discussion among 

 the natives on the question whether the two toes of the 

 ostrich represent the thumb and forefinger in man, or the 

 little and ring fingers. On these occasions it is amusing to 

 observe the freedom and earnestness with which men of the 

 lowest grade assault the opinions of their betters. It is not 

 often that they can bring themselves into importance, and 



