THE ORDEAI, " MUAVT." 581 



After leaving his village we marched in the bed of a 

 sand-river a quarter of a mile broad, called Tangwe. 

 Walking on this sand is as fatiguing as walking on snow, 

 The country is flat, and covered with low trees, but we see 

 high hills in the distance. A little to the south we have 

 those of the I v obole. This region is very much infested 

 by lions, and men never go any distance into the woods 

 alone. Having turned aside on one occasion at midday, 

 and gone a short distance among grass a little taller than 

 myself, an animal sprung away from me which was 

 certainly not an antelope, but I could not distinguish 

 whether it was a Hon or a hysena. This abundance of 

 carnivora made us lose all hope of Monahin. We saw 

 footprints of many black rhinoceroses, buffaloes, and 

 zebras. 



After a few hours we reached the village of Nyakdba. 

 Two men, who accompanied us from Monina to Nyakoba's., 

 would not believe us when we said that we had no beads. 

 It is very trying to have one's veracity doubted, but, on 

 opening the boxes, and showing them that all I had was 

 perfectly useless to them, they consented to receive some, 

 beads off Sekwebu's waist, and I promised to send four 

 yards of calico from Tete. As we came away from 

 Monina's village, a witch-doctor, who had been sent for„ 

 arrived, and all Monina's wives went forth into the fields 

 that morning fasting. There they would be compelled 

 to drink an infusion of a plant named " goho," which is 

 used as an ordeal. This ceremony is called " muavi," 

 and is performed in this way. When a man suspects that 

 any of his wives have bewitched him, he sends for the 

 witch-doctor, and all the wives go forth into the field, and 

 remain fasting till that person has made an infusion of the 

 plant. They all drink it, each one holding up her hand 

 to heaven in attestation of her innocency. Those who 

 vomit it are considered innocent, while those whom it 

 purges are pronounced guilty, and put to death by burning. 

 The innocent return to their homes, and slaughter a cock 

 as a thank-offering to their guardian spirits. The practice 

 of ordeal is common among all the negro nations north of 

 the Zambesi. This summary procedure excited my sur- 

 prise, for my intercourse with the natives here had led me 

 to believe that the women were held in so much estimation 

 that the men would not dare to get rid of them thus. 

 But the explanation I received was this. The slightest 



