90 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



were on several principal branches. The structure of these houses was very 

 simple. An oblong scaffold, about seven feet wide, is formed of straight 

 sticks. On one end of this platform a small cone is formed, also of straight 

 sticks, and thatched with grass. A person can nearly stand upright in it ; the 

 diameter of the floor is about six feet. The house stands on the end of the 

 oblong, so as to leave a little square space before the door. On the day previous 

 I had passed several villages, some containing forty houses, all built on poles, 

 about seven or eight feet from the ground, in the form of a circle ; the ascent 

 and descent is by a knotty branch of a tree placed in front of the house. In 

 the centre of the circle there is always a heap of the bones of game they 

 have killed. Such were the domiciles of the impoverished thousands of the 

 aborigines of the country, who having been scattered and plundered by Mosele- 

 katse, had neither herd nor stall, but subsisted on locusts, roots, and the chase. 

 They adopted this mode of architecture to escape the lions which abounded 

 in the country. During the day the families descended to the shade beneath 

 to dress their daily food. When the inhabitants increased, they supported 

 the augmented weight on the branches, by upright sticks, but when lightened 

 of. their load, they removed these for firewood. 



"As a proof of the necessity of such an expedient as above described, I may 

 add, that during the day, having shot a rhinoceros, we had reserved the hump 

 of the animal to roast during the night, a large ant-hill was selected for the 

 purpose, and being prepared by excavation and fire, this tit-bit was deposited. 

 During the night, a couple of lions attracted by the roast, drew near, and 

 though it was beyond gun-shot, we could hear them distinctly, as if holding 

 council to wait till the fire went out, to obtain for themselves our anticipated 

 breakfast. As the fire appeared to have gone out altogether, we had given 

 up hope till morning light showed us that the lions had been in earnest, but 

 the heat of the smouldering ant-hill had effectually guarded our steak." 



Mr. Moffat's journey led across many miles of country, which had been 

 devastated by Moselekatse. One of the attendants of a chief man of the latter 

 gave him a graphic account of the overthrow of his tribe by Moselekatse. 

 Pointing to the scantily peopled country around them, he said : — 



" There lived the great chief of multitudes. He reigned among them like 

 a king. He was the chief of the blue-coloured cattle. They were numerous 

 as the dense mist on the mountain brow ; his flocks covered the plain. He 

 thought the number of his warriors would awe his enemies. His people boasted 

 in their spears, and laughed at the cowardice of such as had fled from their 

 towns. ' I shall slay them, and hang up their shields on my hill. Our race 

 is a race of warriors. Who ever subdued our fathers ? they were mighty in 

 combat. We still possess the spoils of ancient times. Have not our dogs 

 eaten the shields of their nobles ? The vultures shall devour the slain of our 

 enemies.' Thus they sang and thus they danced, till they beheld on yonder 



