52 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. II. 



and there it is said that the men acquiesce from ideas of 

 purity. 



It is curious that trade-rum should form so important an 

 article of import on the West Coast while it is almost unknown 

 on the East Coast, for the same people began the commerce in 

 both instances. If we look north of Cape Delgado, we might 

 imagine that the religious convictions of the Arabs had 

 something to do with the matter, but the Portuguese south 

 of Cape Delgado have no scruples in the matter, and would 

 sell their grandfathers as well as the rum if they could make 

 money by the transaction, they have even erected distilleries 

 to furnish a vile spirit from the fruit of the cashew and other 

 fruits and grain, but the trade does not succeed. They give 

 their slaves also rewards of spirit, or " mata bicho " (" kill the 

 creature," or " craving within "), and you may meet a man 

 who, having had much intercourse with Portuguese, may 

 beg spirits, but the trade does not pay. The natives will 

 drink it if furnished gratis. The indispensable " dash " of 

 rum on the West Coast in every political transaction with 

 independent chiefs is, however, quite unknown. The Mos- 

 lems would certainly not abstain from trading in spirits 

 were the trade profitable. They often asked for brandy from 

 me in a sly way — as medicine ; and when reminded that 

 their religion forbade it, would say, " Oh, but we can drink 

 it in secret." 



It is something in the nature of the people quite in- 

 explicable, that throughout the Makonde country hernia 

 humoralis prevails to a frightful extent; it is believed by 

 the natives to be the result of beer drinking, so they 

 cannot be considered as abstemious. 



18th June. — Finding that Musa did not come up with 

 the goods I left in his charge, and fearing that all was 

 not right, we set off with all our hands who could carry, 

 after service yesterday morning, and in six hours' hard 

 tramp arrived here just in time, for a tribe of Wanindi, or 



