Chap. XIX. 
THE BAMBOO. 
361 
degrees of hardness, the most indurated being at the bottom. 
This red clay shale is named keele ” in Scotland, and has always 
been considered as an indication of gold; but the only thing we 
discovered was, that it had given rise to a very slippery clay soil, 
so different from that which we had just left, that Mashauana, 
who always prided himself on being an adept at balancing himself 
in the canoe on water, and so sure of foot on land that he could 
afford to express contempt for any one less gifted, came down 
in a very sudden and undignified manner, to the dehght of all 
whom he had previously scolded for falling. 
Here we met with the bamboo as thick as a man’s arm, and 
many new trees. Others, which we had lost sight of since 
leaving Shinte, now re-appeared; but nothing struck us more 
than the comparative scragginess of the trees in this hollow. 
Those on the high lands we had left were tall and straight; here 
they were stunted, and not by any means so closely planted 
together. The only,way I coiild account for this was by sup¬ 
posing, as the trees were of different species, that the greater 
altitude suited the nature of those above, better than the lower 
altitude did the other species below. 
Sunday, 2nd April ,—We rested beside a small stream, and 
our hunger being now very severe, from having lived on manioc 
alone since leaving longa Panza’s, we slaughtered one of our 
four remaining oxen. The people of this district seem to feel the 
craving for animal food as much as we did, for they spend much 
energy in digging large white larvae out of the damp soil adjacent 
to their streams, and use them as a relish for their vegetable diet. 
The Bashmje refused to sell any food for the poor old ornaments 
my men had now to offer. We could get neither meal nor manioc; 
but should have been comfortable, had not the Basliinje cliief 
Sansawe pestered us for the customary present. The native 
traders informed us, that a display of force was often necessary 
before they could pass this man. 
Sansawe, the chief of a portion of the Bashmje, having sent the 
usual formal demand for a man, an ox, or a tusk, spoke very 
contemptuously of the poor things we offered him instead. We 
told his messengers, that the tusks were Sekeletu’s: everything 
was gone, except my instruments, which could be of no use to 
them whatever. One of them begged some meat, and, when it 
