Chaga. 397 
He first described what his Pombe was. He said : 
" It is none of your sugar-cane decoctions and small 
beer, but real good liquor, brewed from the plan- 
tain and wimbe (pannicum ?). We Wachaga love it 
above everything else in the world. Our people will 
work like slaves to procure the means of getting up 
a good brew ; but once let a man s pots be full, and 
he will do nothing but drink and drink till they are 
empty. He is the happiest creature alive ; drunk from . 
morning till night and from night till morning, his 
heart is as light as a feather, his life a dance and a 
song ; nothing troubles him till his tap is dry, then he 
goes to work again inspired by the prospect of another 
similar rout as the only, but ample, reward of his toils." 
He avowed that his own sustenance consisted solely 
of toddy and flesh, and stated that he preferred the 
latter raw ! But he went on to say that he sometimes 
indulged in a mixture of milk and fresh warm blood, 
a draught which is a favourite with almost all Afri- 
cans ! He extolled toddy as not only exhilarating, 
but really nutritious and strengthening, pointing to 
his own thews and sinews in proof of the statement. 
He, moreover, insisted that it was a famous medi- 
cine, and said that he often cured himself of illness 
by thoroughly saturating his system therewith. He 
attributed to it all manner of virtues, and recom- 
mended me to try it upon one of my sick men, en- 
gaging, if I would allow him to take the man away 
and make him well drunk, to bring him back to me 
in a day or two, thoroughly cured. 
The toddy lecture over, he launched out upon 
another subject. He said he had heard that Wazungu 
paint life-like representations of men and women upon 
