46(i 
SPECBIEN OF QUAKKELLING. 
Chap. XXllI. 
Having passed the Loembwe, we were in a more open country^ 
with every few hours a small valley, through wliich ran a httle 
rill m the middle of a bog. These were always difficult to pass, 
and being numerous, kej)t the lower part of the person constantly 
wet. At different points in our com^se we came upon votive 
offerings to the Barimo. These usually consisted of food; and 
every deserted \dllage still contained the idols and little sheds 
witli pots of medicine in them. One afternoon we passed a 
smah frame house, with the head of an ox in it as an object of 
worship. The dreary uniformity of gloomy forests and open fiats, 
must have a depressing influence on the minds of the people. 
Some villages appear more superstitious than others, if we may 
judge from the greater number of idols they contain. 
Only on one occasion did we witness a spechnen of quarrelling. 
An old Avoman, standing by our camp, continued to belabour a 
good-looking young man for hours with her tongue. Irritated at 
last, he uttered some Avords of impatience, Avhen another man 
sprang at liim, exclaiming, “ How dare you curse my ^ Mama ’ ? ” 
They caught each other, and a sort of pusliing, dragging, Avrest- 
ling-match ensued. The old Avoman who had been the cause of 
the affray, wished us to interfere, and the combatants themselves 
hoped as much, but we, preferring to remain neutral, ailoAved 
them to fight it out. It ended by one falling under the other, 
both, from their scuffling, being in a state of nudity. They 
picked up their clothing, and ran off in different directions, each 
tlmeatening to bring his gun and settle the dispute in mortal 
combat. Only one, however, returned, and the old Avoman con¬ 
tinued her scolding till my men, fairly thed of her tongue, ordered 
her to be gone. This trifling incident was one of interest to me, 
for, dming the whole period of my residence in the Bechuana 
country, I never saAv unarmed men strike each other. Their 
disputes are usually conducted Avith great volubihty and noisy 
swearing, but they generally terminate by both parties bursting 
into a laugh. 
At every village attempts Avere made to induce us to remain a 
night. Sometimes large pots of beer were offered to us as a 
temptation. Occasionally the head-man Avould peremptorily order 
us to halt under a tree which he pointed out. At other times 
young men volunteered to guide us to the impassable part of the 
