NATIVE BEEHIVES. 133 



his permission to do this, he was reluctantly compelled to decline, as he had 

 nothing he could send instead, and had no food to offer them. 



Manenko and her husband Sambanza, accompanied by a drummer, whose 

 duty it was to thump regularly on his drum, in order to acquaint all people 

 they might meet with the fact that a personage of importance was coming, 

 started to escort Livingstone and his party to Shinte's town. The rain poured 

 in torrents, notwithstanding that her husband endeavoured to stop it by 

 various incantations and vociferations. Manenko marched on unconcernedly 

 at such a rate as made it difficult for the men to keep up with her. Living- 

 stone being still weak from fever, which was aggravated by the low diet of 

 the last few days, was on oxback, the indomitable Manenko walking by his 

 side, keeping up a lively conversation. All suffered from want in this journey; 

 the bulk of what they got was begged from the inhabitants of the villages 

 they passed, and they were a sad contrast to the kindly Makololo, for on 

 several occasions they refused to give them even the scantiest supply. Even 

 when, on one occasion, Manenko herself went to beg something for Living- 

 stone she only managed to procure five ears of maize, and this notwithstanding 

 that the headman of the village was a subject of her uncle's. 



In the forests they came upon artificial beehives, which are formed by 

 removing the bark whole from a tree, which is then sewn up, closed at both ends, 

 and after a hole is perforated in each for the bees to pass in and out by, they 

 are hung upon the trees. The bees, finding so suitable a place for the deposit 

 of their honey and wax, take possession of it, and at the proper season their 

 store is removed by the natives. In this way all the honey and wax exported 

 from Loanda is collected. A piece of medicine (a charm) is attached to the 

 tree, and proves a sufficient protection. Their idolatry is the result of fear 

 onl3 T ; and their dread of unknown and terrible consequences keeps the people 

 honest under such circumstances. 



To the west of the Leeba, Livingstone and his men found it useless to 

 follow the fluttering flight of the bee eater, or honey bird, as all the bees of 

 the district were artificially provided with hives ; and he would not permit 

 any of the hives to be interfered with. 



Great quantities of edible mushrooms were found in the forest, and as 

 they were pleasant to eat, some of them even when raw, they proved a great 

 blessing in their present half-starved condition. Some of these grow to a 

 great size — as large as the crown of a hat — and several of them are of colours 

 unknown to Europe, one being dark blue. In this district he first saw signs 

 of the insecurity of life and property. The huts were closed with upright 

 stakes, which were removed and replaced as the inmates went in or departed. 

 The dealings with the Mambari in slaves, and the over-reaching nature of 

 their bargainings, had introduced a lower state of morals than he found pre- 

 vailing among the Bechuanas and the Makololo, where theft and over-reachino- 



