460 CHITI V ANE'S VII^AGK. 



localities among the reeds. These places are well known, 

 as they continue there from year to year, and belong to 

 the chiefs, who at particular times of the year gather 

 most of the young. The produce of this " harvest," as 

 they call it, which was presented to me, was a hundred and 

 seventy-five unfledged birds. They had been rather late 

 in collecting them, in consequence of waiting for the 

 arrival of Mpololo, who acts the part of chief, but gave 

 them to me, knowing that this would be pleasing to him, 

 otherwise tliis colony would have yielded double the 

 amount. The old ones appear along the L,eeambye in 

 Vast flocks, and look lean and scraggy. The young are 

 Very fat, and when roasted are esteemed one of the dainties 

 of the Barotse valley. In presents of this kind, as well 

 as of oxen, it is a sort of feast of joy, the person to whom 

 they are presented having the honour of distributing 

 the materials of the feast. We generally slaughtered 

 every ox at the village where it was presented, and then 

 our friends and we rejoiced together. 



The village of Chitlane is situated, like all others in the 

 Barotse valley, on an eminence, over which floods do not 

 rise ; but this last year, the water approached nearer 

 to an entire submergence of the whole valley, than has 

 been known in the memory of man. Great numbers of 

 people were now suffering from sickness, which always 

 prevails when the waters are drying up ; and I found much 

 demand for the medicines I had brought from Loanda. 

 The great variation of the temperature each day must 

 have a trying effect upon the health. At this village 

 there is a real Indian banian-tree, which has spread 

 itself over a considerable space by means of roots from 

 its branches ; it has been termed in consequence " the 

 tree with legs " (more oa maotu). It is curious that 

 trees of this family are looked upon with veneration, 

 and all the way from the Barotse to Loanda, are thought 

 to be preservatives from evil. 



On reaching Naliele on the 1st of August, we found 

 Mpololo in great affliction on account of the death of his 

 daughter and her child. She had been lately confined ; 

 and her father naturally remembered her when an ox 

 was slaughtered, or when the tribute of other food, which 

 he receives in lieu of Sekeletu, came in his way, and sent 

 frequent presents to her. This moved the envy of one 

 of the Makololo who hated Mpololo, and, wishing to vex 



