Chap. XV. 
INCREASE OF SUPERSTITION. 
275 
liad to be content witb asserting^ that mine was the real original 
hair, such as thehs would have been, had it not been scorched 
and frizzled by the sun. In proof of what the sun could do, I 
compared my own bronzed face and hands, then about the same 
in complexion as the lighter-coloured Makololo, with the white 
skin of my chest They readily believed that, as they go nearly 
naked and fully exposed to that influence, we might be of common 
origin after all. Here, as everywhere when heat and moistoe 
are combined, the people are very dark, but not quite black. 
There is always a shade of brown in the most deeply coloured. 
I showed my watch and pocket compass, which are considered 
great cmdosities; but, though the lady was called on by her 
husband to look, she would not be persuaded to approach near 
enough. 
These people are more superstitious than any we had yet 
encountered; though still only building their village, they had 
found time to erect two little sheds at the chief dwelling in it, in 
which were placed two pots having charms in them. When 
asked what medicine they contained, they replied, “ Medicine 
for the Barimobut when I rose and looked into them, they 
said they were medicine for the game. Here we saw the first 
evidence of the existence of idolatry, in the remains of an old 
idol at a deserted village. It was simply a human head carved 
on a block of wood. Certain charms mixed with red ochre and 
white pipe-clay are dotted over them, when they are in use; and 
a crooked stick is used in the same way for an idol, when they 
have no professional carver. 
As the Leeba seemed still to come fi*om the direction in which 
we wished to go, I was desfrous of proceeding farther up with 
the canoes; but Nyamoana was anxious that we should allow 
her people to conduct us to her brother Shinte; and when I 
explained the advantage of water-carriage, she represented that 
her brother did not live near the river, and, moreover, there was 
a cataract in front, over which it would be difficult to convey the 
canoes. She was afr’aid, too, that the Balobale, whose country 
lies to the west of the river, not knowing the objects for which 
we had come, woxdd kill us. To my reply, that I had been so 
often tlu’eatened with death if I visited a new tribe, that I was 
now more afraid of killing any one than of being killed, she 
T 2 
