FRUITS IN ANGOLA. 899 



excited my curiosity greatly, as I could find no possible explanation for the 

 noise. At last I determined to be on the watch. I had lucifers and a candle 

 ready, and was luckily awake when I heard the noise repeated on my table. 

 I instantly struck a light, and saw a snake about six feet long glide off the 

 table on to the ground and quickly disappear in a hole in a corner of the room. 

 I then ascertained that Mr. Snake went up the staircase every night to the 

 office above, where he hunted about for rats, and towards morning returned 

 through a hole in the flooring immediately above my table, dropping a height 

 of about ten feet, and producing the whip-like sound that had so perplexed 

 me for many nights. A bung in a hole in the floor above stopped his return 

 that way for the future, but I could not help being thankful that my bed 

 had not been placed where the table stood, for, notwithstanding that I 

 believed it was simply a harmless and inoffensive rat-catcher, still six feet of 

 cold snake wriggling over my face and body might not have been quite plea- 

 sant in the dark." 



A large scarabeus beetle is very abundant wherever cow-dung is found; 

 and it is amusing to see them at work, making it up into balls nearly the size 

 of a billiard-ball, an egg having been deposited in each. Two or three may 

 be often seen pushing the ball along backwards — the universal custom. A 

 very beautiful lemur is found in some districts. It is of a light, chinchilla- 

 grey colour, with black nose and ears, and dark-brown feet and toes. This 

 animal can turn back and crumple up its rather large and long ears at will. 

 Its tail is long, and, like the rest of the body, very fussy. It is very quiet 

 and gentle, nocturnal in its habits, and sleeps much during the day. The 

 natives use its long, fine fur to stanch bleeding from cuts and wounds. 



Fruits are not so abundant in Angola as they might be. Most of the 

 European fruit-trees grow remarkably well. Oranges are of delicious quality. 

 Mulberries bear abundantly. Limes grow wild in places. Mangoes are 

 splendid; but in some places the natives have a prejudice against planting the 

 tree, as they believe it would be unlucky. The guava grows wild in abund- 

 ance in many parts. Pine-apples are generally very fine, and might be grown 

 to any extent. Grapes and figs are sparingly cultivated, but bear well. The 

 natives on the coast eat the fruit of the Chrysobolamus Icaca ; it is like a round 

 black-purple plum, tasteless and astrigent. The Jambosa vulgaris is found 

 growing wild, and although rather insipid, it has a delicious scent of attar of 

 roses. There is another tree bearing bunches of yellow, plum-like fruit of a very 

 delicious flavour and scent, and its pulp mixed with water and sugar makes 

 one of the nicest drinks one can taste. The only plants employed by the 

 natives as scents are the seeds of the Hibiscus Abelmoschus, smelling strongly 

 of musk, and a very sweet-smelling wood. These they rub over the head and 

 body, and keep with their clothes. They use the skin of the musk or civet- 

 cat, which is common in the interior, to scent their clothes and bodies. The 



