Chap. XXIII. GUINEA-FOWLS— COTTON PATCHES. 40,9 



meadow-grass in England, and would be a capital plant for 

 spreading over a new country not so abundantly supplied 

 with grasses as this is. 



We have sometimes noticed two or three leaves together 

 pierced through by these seeds, and thus made, as it were, 

 into wings to carry them to any soil suited to their growth. 



We always follow the native paths, though they are 

 generally not more than fifteen inches broad, and so often 

 have deep little holes in them, made for the purpose of 

 setting traps for small animals, and are so much obscured by 

 the long grass, that one has to keep one's eyes on the ground 

 more than is pleasant. In spite, however, of all drawbacks, 

 it is vastly more easy to travel on these tracks, than to go 

 straight over uncultivated ground, or virgin forest. A path 

 usually leads to some village, though sometimes it turns out 

 to be a mere game track leading nowhere. 



In going north, we came into a part called Mpemba where 

 Chibisa was owned as chief, but the people did not know 

 that he had been assassinated by the Portuguese Terera. 

 A great deal of grain was lying round the hut, where we 

 spent the night. Very large numbers of turtledoves feasted 

 undisturbed on the tall stalked mapira ears, and we easily 

 secured plenty of fine fat guinea-fowls — now allowed to feed 

 leisurely in the deserted gardens. The reason assigned for 

 all this listless improvidence was "There are no women to 

 grind the corn — all are dead." 



The cotton patches in all cases seemed to have been so 

 well cared for, and kept so free of weeds formerly, that, though 

 now untended, but few weeds had sprung up ; and the bushes 

 were thus preserved in the annual grass burnings. Many 

 baobab-trees grow in different spots, and the few people seen 

 were using the white pulp found between the seeds to make 

 a pleasant subacid drink. 



