Chap. X. NATIVE GRAVES. 267 



busily engaged in taking out the fish. We tried to pur- 

 chase some, but they refused to sell. The fish did not 

 belong to them, they would send for the proprietor of the 

 place. The proprietor arrived in a short time, and readily 

 sold what we wanted. 



Some of the burying-grounds are very well arranged, 

 and well cared for ; this was noticed at Chitanda, and 

 more particularly at a village on the southern shore of the 

 fine harbour at Cape Maclear. Wide and neat paths were 

 made in the burying-ground on its eastern and southern 

 sides. A grand old fig-tree stood at the north-east corner, 

 and its wide-spreading branches threw their kindly shade 

 over the last resting-place of the dead. Several other 

 magnificent trees grew around the hallowed spot. Mounds 

 were raised as they are at home, but all lay north and 

 south, the heads apparently north. The graves of the 

 sexes were distinguished by the various implements which 

 the buried dead had used in their different employments 

 during life ; but they were all broken, as if to be employed 

 no more. A piece of fishing-net and a broken paddle told 

 where a fisherman lay. The graves of the women had 

 the wooden mortar, and the heavy pestle used in pounding 

 the corn, and the basket in which the meal is sifted, while 

 all had numerous broken calabashes and pots arranged 

 around them. The idea that the future life is like the 

 present does not appear to prevail ; yet a banana-tree had 

 been carefully planted at the head of several of the graves ; 

 the fruit might be considered an offering to those who still 

 possess human tastes. The people of the neighbouring 

 villages were friendly and obliging, and willingly brought 

 us food for sale. 



Pursuing our exploration, we found that the northern 

 part of the lake was the abode of lawlessness and blood- 

 shed. The Mazite, or Mazitu, live on the highlands, and 

 make sudden swoops on the villages of the plains. They 



