484 
POISONS USED IN AFRICA. 
After completing a few miles of the road, and breaking 
in the oxen, it was thought best to seek for provisions, by 
going in a boat above the cataracts to the tribes at the 
foot of Lake Nyassa, who were untouched by the Ajawa 
invasion. Dr. Livingstone and a companion therefore set 
nt to see whether a boat, which had been previously hung 
up under a shady tree to protect it, was still in good con- 
dition, before attempting to carry a boat round the cata- 
racts. The Pioneer was left in charge, of the gunner, her 
decks protected from the weather with a roof of thatch, 
and the discipline of a navy ship was kept up, in order to 
guard the crew from sickness, by constant employment. 
On the Kith of .June, Dr. Livingstone started for the 
upper cataracts Their attempts to shoot buffaloes on the 
way failed. The long grass prevented their seeing the 
animals, and the buffalo birds gave their charge notice of 
the hunters’ approach in time for the animals to get away. 
The natives hunt with poisoned arrows, which are barbed, 
the barb being only slightly connected" with the shaft of the 
arrow. When the animal is shot, the shaft of the arrow 
falls out, or is soon knocked out by coming in contact 
with the shrubs, while the barbed and poisoned part 
remains fastened in the wound. The poison used in this 
portion of Africa is called Kornbi, and is made from a 
species of Slrophanthua. It is very virulent, and seems to 
act by lowering the pulse. All kinds of animals, except 
the elephant and hippopotamus, are killed by these poisoned 
arrow’s ; these animals arc so large that the small quantity 
carried into the wound by the arrow, does not affect them 
seriously. 
At Lake Nyassa, another poison is used exclusively, it' 
is said, for killing men. The Bushmen of the northern 
part of the Kalahari poison their arrows with the entrails 
of a certain kind of caterpillar, which they call ’Nga. This 
poison, it is said, produces delirium. 
A species of grass in the path had barbed seeds, which 
entered the clothes, and produced a great irritation of the 
