BARSAALA. 17 



of Cafferland importune those who visit their umzis 

 or villages, for presents of beads, and so great is the 

 value attached by them to these articles, which an- 

 swer, in fact, all the purposes of a metallic currency 

 in civilized nations, that a traveller must never fail 

 to provide himself with a considerable quantity if he 

 is desirous of prosecuting his researches into their 

 country without obstacle or inconvenience, or if he 

 expects to obtain among their dwellings the neces- 

 sary comforts of food and shelter. We had scarcely 

 turned our backs on the party described, before we 

 were assailed by a host of females, who ran towards 

 us from their huts, vociferating barsaala, harsaala, 

 but as we had already made an ample distribution 

 amongst the men, we paid no attention to their en- 

 treaties. Shortly afterwards we came up with a 

 wandering band of Caffers, who surrounded us with 

 very menacing applications for a barsaala, and seemed 

 disposed to obstruct our progress, had not my corn- 

 slaughter of one ; and dispatch being the order of the day, a knife is 

 struck in the camel's heart while his head is turned to the east, and 

 he dies almost in an instant ; but before that instant expires, a dozen 

 knives are thrust into different parts of the carcass, in order to carry 

 off the choicest parts of the flesh. The heart, considered as the 

 greatest delicacy, is torn out, the skin stripped from the breast and 

 haunches, part of the meat cut, or rather torn from the bones, and 

 thrust into bags, which they carry for the purpose ; and the remainder 

 of the carcass is left for the crows, vultures, and hyaenas, whilst the 

 Arabs quickly follow the canla." — Denham and Clappertons Narra- 

 tive of Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa^ 

 page 23. 



VOL. I. C 



