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



feuds that are never settled, cultivate largely. They have 

 selected a kind of maize that bends its fruit-stalk round into 

 a hook, and hedges some eighteen feet high are made by 

 inserting poles, which sprout like Eobinson Crusoe's hedge, 

 and never decay. Lines of climbing plants are tied so as to 

 go along from pole to pole, and the maize cobs are suspended 

 to these by their own hooked fruit-stalk. As the corn cob is 

 forming, the hook is turned round, so that the fruit-leaves 

 of it hang down and form a thatch for the grain beneath, 

 or inside it. This upright granary forms a solid-looking 

 wall round the villages, and the people are not stingy, but 

 take down maize and hand it to the men freely. 



The women are very naked. They bring loads of provi- 

 sions to sell, through the rain, and are eager traders for 

 beads. Plantains, cassava, and maize, are the chief food. 

 The first rains had now begun, and the white ants took the 

 hint to swarm and colonize. 



6th, 7th, and 8th Noveniber. — We came to many large 

 villages, and were variously treated; one headman pre- 

 sented me with a parrot, and on my declining it, gave it to 

 one of my people ; some ordered us off, but were coaxed 

 to allow us to remain over night. They have no restraint ; 

 some came and pushed off the door of my hut with a stick 

 while I was resting, as we should do with a wild-beast 

 cage. 



Though reasonably willing to gratify curiosity, it becomes 

 tiresome to be the victim of unlimited staring by the ugly, 

 as well as by the good-looking. I can bear the women, 

 but ugly males are uninteresting, and it is as much as I 

 can stand when a crowd will follow me wherever I move. 

 They have heard of Dugumbe Hassani's deeds, and are 

 evidently suspicious of our intentions : they say, " If you 

 have food at home, why come so far and spend your beads 

 to buy it here ?" If it is replied, on the strength of some 

 of Mohamad's people being present, " We want to buy ivory 



