WHITE ANTS — SEARCH FOR RAIN. 43 1 



but they hesitate not even to pass through the fire. 

 While swarming they appear like snow-flakes floating about 

 in the air, and dogs, cats, hawks, and almost every birdj, 

 may be seen busily devouring them. The natives, too, 

 profit by the occasion, and actively collect them for food, 

 they being about half an inch long, as thick as a crow- 

 quill, and very fat. When roasted they are said to be 

 good, and somewhat resemble grains of boiled rice. An 

 idea may be formed of this dish by what once occurred on 

 the banks of the Zouga. The Bayeiye chief Palani visiting 

 us while eating, I gave him a piece of bread and preserved 

 apricots ; and as he seemed to relish it much, I asked him 

 if he had any food equal to that in his country. " Ah,'" 

 said he, " did you ever taste white ants ? " As I never 

 had, he replied, " Well, if you had, you never could have 

 desired to eat anything better." The general way of 

 catching them is to dig into the ant-hill, and wait till all 

 the builders come forth to repair the damage ; then brush 

 them off quickly into a vessel, as the ant-eater does into 

 his mouth. 



The fall of the rain makes all the cattle look fresh 

 and clean, and both men and women proceed cheerily 

 to their already hoed gardens, and sow the seed. The 

 large animals in the country leave the spots where they 

 had been compelled to congregate for the sake of water, 

 and become much wilder. Occasionally a herd of buffa- 

 loes or antelopes smell rain from afar, and set off in a 

 straight line towards the place. Sometimes they make 

 mistakes, and are obliged to return to the water they 

 had left. 



Very large tracts of country are denuded of old grass 

 during the winter, b^ means of fire, in order to attract 

 the game to that which there springs up unmixed with 

 the older crop. This new herbage has a renovating 

 tendency, for as long as they feed on the dry grass of 

 the former season they continue in good condition ; but 

 no sooner are they able to indulge their appetites on 

 the fresh herbage, than even the marrow in their bones 

 becomes dissolved, and a red soft uneatable mass is left 

 behind. After this, commences the work of regaining 

 their former plumpness. 



May 30th. — We left Bango, and proceeded to the river 

 Loembwe, which flows to the N.N.E., and abounds in 

 hippopotami. It is about sixty yards wide and four 



