GORDON GUMMING. 51 



irregular, that they were fain to put up with locusts on many occasions, and 

 while not partial to such a diet, he preferred them to shrimps, " though I would 

 avoid both as much as possible." 



As locusts never abound excepting in a dry season and when other kinds 

 of food are scarce, the natives eat them, whenever they can manage to gather 

 as many as will make a dish. This custom is not peculiar to Africa, but 

 extends to all tropical countries. The wings and legs are removed, and the 

 bodies are hastily prepared in the form of a raw cake. We have conversed 

 with more than one traveller who has partaken of this dish, and they say, 

 that under the circumstances, they did not find the mess unpalatable. 



A large species of frog, called matlcmetto, by the natives, when procurable 

 was greatly relished, especially by the Doctor's children. During the con- 

 tinuance of dry weather, this frog remains in a hole which it excavates for 

 itself in the ground, out of which it emerges during rain, assembling in 

 numbers with such rapidity that they are vulgarly supposed to come from the 

 clouds along with the rain. At night they set up a croaking in their holes, 

 which assisted Livingstone materially in hunting for them when the cupboard 

 was innocent of more preferable flesh meat. 



These frogs are of large size, and having a good deal of flesh on their 

 bones, which is both juicy and tender when properly cooked, it formed a 

 capital substitute for ox or antelope flesh. 



Gordon Cumming, on the occasion of one of his visits to Dr. Livingstone, 

 attended Divine service. " I had," he says, " considerable difficulty to main- 

 tain my gravity, as sundry members of the congregation entered the church 

 clad in the most unique apparel. Some of these wore extraordinary old hats 

 ornamented with fragments of women's clothes and ostrich feathers. Their 

 fine hats they were very reluctant to take off, and one man sat with his beaver 

 on immediately before the minister until the door-keeper went up to him and 

 ordered him to remove it. At dinner we had a variety of excellent vegetables, 

 the garden producing almost every sort in great perfection ; the potatoes, in 

 ^articular, were very fine. . . Being anxious to visit Sechele and his tribe, 

 Dr. Livingstone and I resolved to leave Bakatla and march upon Chonuane 

 with one of my waggons on the ensuing day ; the Doctor's object being to 

 establish peace between the two tribes, and mine to enrich myself with 

 ivory, etc." 



The following sketch of Sechele and his surroundings prior to his con- 

 version, from the pen of Mr. Gordon Cumming, merits insertion here : — 



" The appearance of this chief was prepossessing, and his manner was 

 civil and engaging; his stature was about 5 feet 10 inches, and in his person 

 he inclined to corpulency. His dress consisted of a handsome leopard-skin 

 kaross, and on his arms and legs, which were stout and well turned, he wore 

 a profusion of brass and copper ornaments, manufactured by tribes residing a 



