iv.] MORAL CONDITION. 127 



in the south, among tribes which are reported to have been 

 as savage as the Makololo 1 ." 



In another place he says : " But amidst all the beauty 

 and loveliness with which we are surrounded, there is still 

 a feeling of want in the soul in viewing one's poor com- 

 panions, and hearing bitter impure words jarring on the 

 ear in the perfection of the scenes of nature, and a longing 

 that both their hearts and ours might be brought into har- 

 mony with the Great Father of Spirits 2 ." 



Such portraits are painful to contemplate. 



The life of God in the soul, purity of thought and man- 

 ners, together with the bringing forth of the fruits of the 

 Spirit, are never exhibited in any except Christian countries, 

 whatever the dark side of these countries may be. 



The question of the moral sense is not to 



Their blunt- ^ e discussed here : nevertheless much can be 

 ed moral per- 

 ceptions, and gathered both for and against it from Dr 



degraded man- Livingstone's narrative. 



ners and cus- ° . 



tomg# We rind even public morality in some cases 



at a very low ebb; Dr Livingstone tells us that 



there is not even a public opinion of purity and decency. 



He states that among the Makololo all the women, married 



and single, are expected to be, and are, at the call of the 



chief; likewise that a female chieftain regards each man of 



her clan as her quasi-husband; and that such is the case 



with most other tribes, as well as the practice of polygamy. 



Some of the Balonda and Barotse tribes are an honourable 



exception in the treatment of their women. 



The Makololo use most awful language; swearing, curs- 

 ing and obscene expressions being their delight. They 

 are not only foul-mouthed, but but also very dirty in their 

 habits and persons. 



As far as dress is concerned, most of the people have 

 but little; while murder and the grossest of crimes, often go 

 1 Travels, p. 226. a Ibid. p. 259. 



