164 
DENSE FORESTS. 
wero dependents of some of Shinto's principal men, and 
had no power to part with tho maize of their masters. 
The forests bccamo more dense as wo went north. Wo 
travelled much moro in the deep gloom of the forest than 
in open sunlight. No passage existed on eithor side of the 
narrow path mado by tho axe. Large climbing plants 
entwined themselves around tho trunks and branches of 
gigantic troos liko boa-constrictors, and they often do con- 
strict tho treos by which they riso, and, killing them, stand 
erect thomsolvos. Tho bark of a fino tree found in abun- 
dance hero, and called “motuia,” is used by tho Barotso for 
making fish-linos and nets, and tho “molompi,” so well 
adapted for paddles by its lightness and flexibility, was 
abundant. Thero wero othor treos quite now to my com- 
panions : many of them ran up to a height of fifty foot of 
one thickness, and without branches. 
In those forests wo first encountered tho artificial bee- 
hives so commonly mot with all the way from this to 
Angola. They consist of about five foot of tho bark of a 
tree fifteen or eighteen inches in diameter. Two incisions 
are mado right round tho tree at points fivo feet apart, 
thon one longitudinal slit from ono of thoso to tho othor; 
tho workman noxt lifts up tho bark on each side of this slit, 
and detaches it from the trunk, taking care not to break it, 
until the whole comes from tho treo. Tho elasticity of tho 
bark makes it assume tho form it had beforo ; tho slit is 
sowed or pegged up with wooden pins, and onds mado of 
coiled grass rope aro inserted, ono of which has a holo for 
tho ingress of tho bees in tho centre, and tho hivo is com- 
plete. These hives aro placed in a horizontal position on 
high trees in different parts of tho forest, and in this way 
all tho wax exported from Bengucla and Loanda is col- 
lected. It is all tho produco of free labor. A “pieco o. 
medicino” is tied round tho trunk of tho treo, and prove# 
sufficient protection against thioves. Tho natives seldom 
rob each other, for all believe that certain medicine* can 
inflict disease and death • and, though they consider fcba* 
