590 LIFE OF DA VI D LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



advantages of the Shire route by the Bishop's successor I shall ever bitterly 

 deplore, but all will come right some day, though I may not live to partici- 

 pate in the joy, or even the commencement of better times.' 



" He notices with kindly appreciation everywhere the good traits of the 

 negroes at Mokomba : — 



'•■ ' The population is very great and very ceremonious. When we meet 

 any one he turns aside and sits down ; we clap the hand on the chest and say, 

 " Ee peta — re peta," that is, " we pass," or, " let us pass." This is re- 

 sponded to at once by the clapping of hands together. When a person is 

 called at a distance he gives two loud claps of assent ; or if he rises from 

 near a superior he does the same thing, which is a sort of leave-taking.' 



" And again at Mapuio's village : — 



" ' Clapping the hand in various ways is the polite way of saying, " Allow 

 me," " I beg pardon," " Permit me to pass," " Thanks;" it is resorted to in 

 respectful introduction and leave-taking, and also is equivalent to " Hear, 

 hear." When inferiors are called they respond by two brisk claps of the hands, 

 meaning, " I am coming." 



"'They are very punctilious. A large ivory bracelet marks the head 

 man of a village ; there is nothing else to show differences of rank. . . 

 The morning was lovely, the whole country bathed in bright sunlight, and 

 not a breath of air disturbed the smoke as it slowly curled up from the heaps 

 of burning weeds, which the native agriculturist wisely destroys. The peo- 

 ple generally were busy hoeing in the cool of the day. One old man in a 

 village where we rested had trained the little hair he had left into a tail, 

 which, well plastered with fat, he had bent on itself and laid flat on his crown ; 

 another was carefully paring a stick for stirring the porridge, and others were 

 enjoying the shade of the wild fig-trees which are always planted at villages. 

 It is a sacred tree all over Africa and India, and the tender roots which drop 

 down towards the ground are used as medicine — a universal remedy. I like 

 to see the men weaving or spinning, or reclining under these glorious cano- 

 pies, as much as I love to see our more civilised people lolling on their sofas 

 or ottomans.' 



" He laughs pleasantly at Zeore's people, who pity England so much 

 because there are no chilobe-peas in that benighted land ; and who but 

 Livingstone, after the hardships and provocations of the year 1866, would 

 close his journal and begin a new one with words so gentle and child-like in 

 their faith and purpose as these ? — 



" ' We now end 1866. It has not been so fruitful or useful as I intended. 

 Will try to do better in 1867, and be better — more gentle and loving ; and 

 may the Amighty, to whom I commit my way, bring my desires to pass and 

 prosper me ! Let all the sins of '66 be blotted out for Jesus' sake. 



" l lst January, 1867. — May He who was full of grace and truth impress 



