Chap. XXV. SOURCES OF MALARIA. 335 



women is seldom asked. Two refused to stand, apparently 

 because they could not brook the idea of a repulse : the 

 remaining three stood forth, and she unhesitatingly selected 

 the one who was best looking. It was amusing to see the 

 mortification exhibited on the black faces of the unsuccessful 

 candidates, while the spectators greeted them with a hearty 

 laugh. 



During the whole of my stay with the Makololo, Sekeletu 

 supplied my wants abundantly, and, when I proposed to de- 

 part on the 20th of October, protested against my going off in 

 such a hot sun. " Only wait," said he, " for the first shower, 

 and then I will let you go." The heat had increased con- 

 siderably during the last three weeks : the thermometer rose 

 in the sun to 138°, and in the shade to 108°. There was 

 much sickness in the town, caused by the stagnant water left 

 by the inundation, which still formed a large pond in the 

 centre. Even the plains between Linyanti and Sesheke had 

 not yet been freed from the floods, which had risen so much 

 higher than usual, that canoes were able to pass from one 

 place to another, for a distance of upwards of 120 miles, in 

 nearly a straight line. Many pools of stagnant water, when 

 disturbed, emitted a strong effluvium of sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen. Others exhibited an efflorescence of the nitrate of soda, 

 and also contained abundance of lime, probably from decaying 

 vegetable matter : these may have engendered the malaria 

 which caused the present sickness. 



I had plenty of employment, for, besides attending to the 

 severer cases, I had perpetual calls on my attention, as every 

 one of the 7000 inhabitants in the town thought that he might 

 come and at least look at me. My medical intercourse with 

 them enabled me to ascertain their moral status better than a 

 mere religious teacher could do. They did not attempt to 

 hide the evil from me, as men often do from a mere spiritual 

 instructor ; but I have found it difficult to come to a conclusion 

 on their character. They perform actions sometimes remark- 

 ably good, and sometimes equally the reverse ; and I have 

 been unable to ascertain the state of mind in which they did 

 either the one or the other. On the whole, I think they exhi- 

 bit just the same strange mixture of good and evil as men do 

 elsewhere. There is not among them that constant stream 



