1SG6.] CHIMUNA UNDER TREATMENT. L39 



if, without their skill, we had to maintain an existence here. 

 Their furnaces are rather bottle shaped, and about seven feet 

 high by three broad. One toothless patriarch had heard of 

 books and umbrellas, but had never seen either. The oldest 

 inhabitant had never travelled far from the spot in which he 

 was born, yet he has a good knowledge of soils and agricul- 

 ture, hut-building, basket-making, pottery, and the manu- 

 facture of bark-cloth and skins for clothing, as also making 

 of nets, traps, and cordage. 



Chimuna had a most ungainly countenance, yet did well 

 enough : he was very thankful for a blister on his loins to 

 ease rheumatic pains, and presented a huge basket of 

 porridge before starting, with a fowl, and asked me to fire 

 a gun that the Mazitu might hear and know that armed 

 men were here. They all say that these marauders flee 

 from fire-arms, so I think that they are not Zulus at all, 

 though adopting some of their ways. 



In going on to Mapuio's we passed several large villages, 

 each surrounded by the usual euphorbia hedge, and having 

 large trees for shade. We are on a level, or rather gently 

 undulating country, rather bare of trees. At the junctions 

 of these earthen waves we have always an oozing bog, this 

 often occurs in the slope down the trough of this terrestrial 

 sea ; bushes are common, and of the kind which were cut 

 down as trees. Yellow haematite is very abundant, but the 

 other rocks scarcely appear in the distance ; we have moun- 

 tains both on the east and west. 



On arriving at Mapuio's village, he was, as often happens, 

 invisible, but he sent us a calabash of fresh-made beer, 

 Avhich is very refreshing, gave us a hut, and promised to 

 cook for us in the evening. We have to employ five or six 

 carriers, and they rule the length of the day's march. Those 

 from Chimuna's village growled at the cubit of calico with 

 which we paid them, but a few beads pleased them perfectly, 

 and we parted good friends. It is not likely I shall ever 



