1866.] THE GUM-COPAL TREE. 29 



regret that I cannot speak to them that good of His name 

 which I ought. 



I went with the Makonde to see a specimen of the gum- 

 copal tree in the vicinity of this village. The leaves are in 

 pairs, glossy green, with the veins a little raised on both 

 face and back ; the smaller branches diverge from the. same 

 point : the fruit, of which we saw the shells, seems to be 

 a nut ; some animal had in eating them cut them through. 

 The bark of the tree is of a light ash colour ; the gum was 

 oozing from the bark at wounded places, and it drops on the 

 ground from branches ; it is thus that insects are probably 

 imbedded in the gum-copal. The people dig in the vicinity 

 of modern trees in the belief that the more ancient trees 

 which dropped their gum before it became an article of 

 commerce must have stood there. " In digging, none may 

 be found on one day but God (Mungu) may give it to us on 

 the next." To this all the Makonde present assented, and 

 showed me the consciousness of His existence was present 

 in their minds. The Makonde get the gum in large 

 quantities, and this attracts the coast Arabs, who remain a 

 long time in the country purchasing it. Hernia humoralis 

 abounds ; it is ascribed to beer-drinking. 



30th April. — Many ulcers burst forth on the camels ; 

 some seem old dhow bruises. They come back from pasture, 

 bleeding in a way that no rubbing against a tree would 

 account for. I am sorry to suspect foul play : the buffaloes 

 and mules are badly used, but I cannot be always near to 

 prevent it. 



Bhang* is not smoked, but tobacco is : the people have no 

 sheep or goats ; only fowls, pigeons, and Muscovy ducks are 

 seen. Honey is very cheap; a good large pot of about a 

 gallon, with four fowls, was given for two yards of calico. 



A species of hemp. 



