VI TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 2^7 



proof against poison. As soon as a man took it 

 upon himself to claim power among these people, by 

 reason either of superlative ability, or of wealth, as 

 the result of such ability, he was taken off in short 

 order. The art of the poisoner is handed down 

 from father to son, and the poisoners, in almost all 

 cases, are the most influential men of the villages. 

 But in no community of these people is there but one 

 poisoner; and the presence of several of these wretches 

 seems to prevent one of their number from rising to 

 supreme power. 



The poisons used are of two kinds, vegetable and 

 animal. The vegetable poisons are used only on the 

 tips of their arrows, or, in rare instances, upon the 

 points of their spears and swords. It is by means of 

 the animal poisons alone that these poisoners exercise 

 their power. Their poisons, as far as I could learn, are 

 extracted from serpents and decayed animal matter. 

 It was easy to distinguish the poisoner from his fellows. 

 He wore suspended from his neck and waist charms 

 consisting of bits of wood and small antelope horns. 

 Another indication was, that when he took from a 

 small bag (customarily carried by all the old men of 

 the Embe) a piece of cassava, manioc, sugar-cane, or the 

 highly prized miraa, and offered it to his neighbour, 

 the proffered gift was declined. 



The manner in which the lands are held, and the 

 absolute absence of anything tending to establish the 

 supremacy of one individual above his fellows, together 

 with the general looseness of the government, all go to 

 show the weaknesses and advantages attendant upon a 

 purely socialistic state. Perhaps it is the limited horizon 

 s 



