258 
THE SIBILO MINE.— THE UNLUCKY WOOD. 18, 19 June, 
fell a sacrifice, destined to be the means of giving their countrymen 
better experience, and a fatal proof of their mistake. 
At the distance of a quarter of a mile farther westward along 
the top of the same ridge, Muchunka brought me to another mine 
excavated in the form of a large open pit of the depth of fifteen or 
eighteen feet. Here the mineral was more glittering, and contained 
larger particles of the shining scales ; and this, though not obtained 
so easily nor in such abundance, was preferred to that which is found 
under the greater rock. As I walked along the ridge, I every where saw 
traces of the mineral ; and am inclined to think that the whole range 
consists chiefly of this substance intermingled with quartzose rock. 
At Sensavan I first met with a shrub * remarkable for being 
regarded by the Bachapins as bewitched or unlucky, and therefore 
unfit to be used as firewood. The reason of its having this character, 
I could never learn ; but the fact of their believing it to possess some 
malignant power, was, on a subsequent occasion, fully confirmed to 
me. It grows only in rocky places, and is from four to nine feet 
high with broad oval leaves, between which are produced little 
clusters of small inconspicuous flowers, succeeded by a large round 
fruit not much less than an inch in diameter, but which is not eatable. 
The engraving at the end of this chapter, represents the foliage, 
flowers, and fruit, of their natural size. 
This shrub is otherwise remarkable, as possessing a botanical 
character or complexion, different from that of the general botany of 
these regions, and indicating a certain affinity with that of the island 
of Madagascar, which contains the only species of Vangueria hitherto 
known ; the present plant forming the second of that genus. A 
striking example of this may be pointed out, in the very close 
resemblance which exists between the Strelitzia augusta or Wilde 
Pisang (Wild Plantain) of the Cape Colony, and the Urania speciosa 
of that island. Of a similar vegetable affinity with that part of 
* Vangueria iiifausta, B. Catal. Geogr. 2629. Frutex 4 — 9-pedalis. Folia tomen- 
tosa ovato-subi'otunda, saepe acuminata, decidua. 
Here also a new and remarkable species of Hermannia, and which was found in no 
other part of these travels, was met with, growing between the rocks near the mme. 
Hermannia bryonicefolia, B. Catal. Geogr. 2141. Rami elongati debiles. Folia 
cordato-ovata scabra dentata sa2pe sinuata. Flores in racemulis paucifloris axillaribus. 
