INSTINCT OF TREES. 321 



to a violent fit of fever. The continuance of this attack 



was a source of much regret, for we went on next day to 



a small rivulet called Chihune, in a lovely valley, and had, 



for a wonder, a clear sky and a clear 'moon ; but such was 



the confusion produced in my mind by the state of my 



body, that I could scarcely manage, after some hours' 



trial, to get a lunar observation in which I could repose 



confidence. The Chihune flows into the Longe, and that 



into the Chihdmbo, a feeder of the Kasai. Those who 



know the difficulties of taking altitudes, times, and 



distances, and committing all of them to paper, will 



symoathise with me in this and many similar instances. 



Whilst at Chihune, the men of a village brought wax for 



sale, and, on rinding that we wished honey, went off and 



soon brought a hive. Ail the bees in the country are in 



possession of the natives, for they rjlace hives sufficient 



for them all. After having ascertained this, we never 



attended the call of the honey-guide, for we were sure it 



would only lead us to a hive which we had no right to 



touch. The bird continues its habit of inviting attention 



to the honey, though its services in this district are never 



actually needed. My Makololo lamented that they never 



knew before that wax could be sold for anything of value. 



As we traverse a succession of open lawns and deep 



forests, it is interesting to observe something like instinct 



developed even in trees. One which, when cut, emits a 



milky juice, if met with on the open lawns, grows as an 



ordinary umbrageous tree, and shows no disposition to be 



a climber ; when planted in a forest it still takes the same 



form, then sends out a climbing branch, which twines 



round another tree until it rises thirty or forty feet, or to 



the level of the other trees, and there spreads out a second 



crown where it can enjoy a fair share of the sun's rays. 



In parts of the forest still more dense than this, it assumes 



the form of a climber only, and at once avails itself of the 



assistance of a tall neighbour by winding vigorously round 



it, without attempting to form a lower head. It does not 



succeed so well as parasites proper, but where forced to 



contend for space, it may be mistaken for one which is 



invariably a climber. The paths here were very narrow 



and very much encumbered with gigantic creepers, often 



as thick as a man's leg. There must be some reason why 



they prefer, in some districts, to go up trees in the common 



form of the thread of a screw, rather than in any other. 



Y 



