398 katosa's VILLAGE. Chap. XIV. 



strung so thickly on their hair that at a little distance 

 they appeared to have on red caps. It is curious that the 

 taste for red hair should be so general among the Africans 

 here and further north ; in the south black mica, called 

 Sebilo, and even soot are used to deepen the colour of the 

 hair; here many smear the head with red-ochre, others 

 plait the inner bark of a tree stained red into it ; and a 

 red powder called Mukuru is employed, which some say is 

 obtained from the ground, and others from the roots of a 

 tree. 



It having been doubted whether sugar-cane is indi- 

 genous to this country or not, we employed Katosa to 

 procure the two varieties commonly cultivated, with the 

 intention of conveying them to Johanna. One is yellow, 

 and the other, like what we observed in the Barotse Valley, 

 is variegated with dark red and yellow patches, or all red. 

 We have seen it " arrow," or blossom. Bamboos also run 

 to seed, and the people are said to use the seed as food. 

 The sugar-cane has native names, which would lead us to 

 believe it to be indigenous. Here it is called Zimbi, 

 further south Mesari, and in the centre of the country 

 Mesliuati. Anything introduced in recent times, as maize, 

 superior cotton, or cassava, has a name implying its foreign 

 origin. 



Katosa's village was embowered among gigantic trees 

 of fine timber : several caffiaceous bushes, with berries 

 closely resembling those of the common coffee, grew near, 

 but no use had ever been made of them. There are 

 several cinchonaceous trees also in the country ; and some 

 of the wild fruits are so good as to cause a feeling of 

 regret that they have not been improved by cultivation, 

 or whatever else brought ours to their present perfection. 

 Katosa lamented that this locality was so inferior to his 

 former place at Pamalombe; there he had maize at the 

 different stages of growth throughout the year. To us, 



