60 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. III. 



25th June. — On leaving Cliirikaloma we came on to 

 Namalo, whose village that morning had been deserted, the 

 people moving off in a body towards the Matambwe country, 

 where food is more abundant. A poor little girl was left in 

 one of the huts from being too weak to walk, probably an 

 orphan. The Arab slave-traders flee from the path as soon 

 as they hear of our approach. The Eovuma is from 56 to SO 

 yards wide here. No food to be had for either love or 

 money. 



Near many of the villages we observe a wand bent and 

 both ends inserted into the ground: a lot of medicine, 

 usually the bark of trees, is buried beneath it. When sick- 

 ness is in a village, the men proceed to the spot, wash them- 

 selves with the medicine and water, creep through beneath 

 the bough, then bury the medicine and the evil influence 

 together. This is also used to keep off evil spirits, wild 

 beasts, and enemies. 



Chirikaloma told us of a child in his tribe which was 

 deformed from his birth. He had an abortive toe where 

 his knee should have been ; some said to his mother, " Kill 

 him;" but she replied, "How can I kill my son?" He 

 grew up and had many fine sons and daughters, but none 

 deformed like himself: this was told in connection with an 

 answer to my question about the treatment of Albinoes : 

 he said they did not kill them, but they never grew to 

 manhood. On inquiring if he had ever heard of cannibals, 

 or people with tails, he replied, " Yes, but we have always 

 understood that these and other monstrosities are met with 

 only among you sea-going people." The other monstrosities 

 he referred to were those who are said to have eyes behind 

 the head as well as in front : I have heard of them before, 

 but then I was near Angola, in the west. 



The rains are expected here when the Pleiades appear in 

 the east soon after sunset ; they go by the same name here 

 as further south — Lemila or the " hoeings." 



