CHAP. IV. ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO ZULUS. 105 



face is rather unpleasant, however rapid the movement 

 may be. Myriads of two varieties of cockroaches infested 

 the vessel ; they not only ate round the roots of our nails, 

 but even devoured and denied our food, flannels, and 

 boots. Vain were all our efforts to extirpate these destruc- 

 tive pests ; if you kill one, say the sailors, a hundred come 

 down to his funeral ! In the work of Commodore Owen it 

 is stated that cockroaches, pounded into a paste, form a 

 powerful carminative ; this has not been confirmed, but 

 when monkeys are fed on them they are sure to become 

 lean. 



On coming to Senna, we found that the Zulus had 

 arrived in force for their annual tribute. These men are 

 under good discipline, and never steal from the people. 

 The tax is claimed on the ground of conquest, the Zulus 

 having formerly completely overcome the Senna people, 

 and chased them on to the islands in the Zambesi. Fifty- 

 four of the Portuguese were slain on the occasion, and, 

 notwithstanding the mud fort, the village has never 

 recovered its former power. Fever was now very pre- 

 valent, and most of the Portuguese were down with it. 



For a good view of the adjacent scenery, the hill, Bara- 

 muana, behind the village, was ascended. A caution was 

 given about the probability of an attack of fever from a 

 plant that grows near the summit. Dr. Kirk discovered 

 it to be the Pcedevia foetida, which, when smelt, actually 

 does give headache and fever. It has a nasty fetor, as its 

 name indicates. This is one instance in which fever and a 

 foul smell coincide. In a number of instances offensive 

 effluvia and fever seems to have no connection. Owing to 

 the abundant rains, the crops in the Senna district were 

 plentiful ; this was fortunate, after the partial failure of 

 the past two years. It was the 25th of April, 1860, before 

 we reached Tette ; here also the crops were luxuriant, and 

 the people said that they had not had such abundance since 



