887.] 
Stay ill Garenganze. 
215 
mother might tike him at once and sell him again. Of course, 
alone, I cannot look after more than a very few, and that settles 
the question so far. The little girl Chinze, whom I took last 
year from a Bihean, when unable to travel because of boils on her 
feet, is again covered with a loathsome disease peculiar to this 
country, called monona, and has to be kept entirely separate. 
Among the natives this disease generally runs from two to five 
years. With a free use of sulphur internally and caustic 
externally I hope to cure her soon. 
So much for family matters and perplexities. Dick is in every- 
thing my good man " Friday." Susi, the other lad, is useful in 
taking messages, medicines, etc., but is very handless and of 
little use about the house. My other little one, Segunda, is 
getting on well ; it took about six months to get him out of the 
decline he had fallen into through neglect and bad food. 
My own health keeps excellent ; ever since moving into my 
" house " I have not had a single day's illness of any kind, and 
nearly a year has passed since I touched quinine or any other 
home medicines, although I have occasionally used the herbs and 
medicinal berries of this country. In fact I am quite a naturalized 
African. The heat of the sun in no way affects my head as it 
used to do. I prefer wearing a light grass hat, of native manufac- 
ture, to my heavy pith-helmet, which is shaken out of its dust 
only on state occasions. My joints, however, have been stiffened 
a good deal with rheumatism this season, which has been an 
exceptionally wet one; not that my house is at all damp, but 
after weeks of rain the very atmosphere becomes saturated. 
SUNDAY EXCUSES. 
Dick and Susi are great helps to me. They thoroughly enter 
into sympathy with the work ; and though neither ventures to talk 
much to others, they are not slow in going about and inviting the 
people to come to my house on the Lord's-day morning. I speak 
chiefly in Umbundu, consequently those who come are for the 
most part natives of Bihe ; many besides understand Umbundu, 
but do not come so freely to my house. The variety of excuses 
made, and obstacles that come in the way, are marvellous. If a 
man is sick, it is sure to be on the Sunday ; if a slave runs off, it 
is certain to be on a Saturday or Sunday ; and the most I have 
