494 
COLONY OF BIRDS. 
Chap. XXV. 
CHAPTEE XXV. 
Colony of birds called Linkololo — The village of Chitlane — Murder of Mpo- 
lolo’s daughter — Execution of murderer and his wife — My companions 
find that their wives have married other husbands — Sunday — A party 
from Masiko — Freedom of speech — Canoe struck by a hippopotamus — 
Gonye — Appearance of trees at the end of winter —'Murky atmosphere — 
Surprising amount of organic life — Hornets — The packages forwarded 
by Mr. Moffat — Makololo suspicions and reply to the Matebele who 
brought them — Convey the goods to an island and build a hut over them 
— Ascertain that Sir R. Murchison had recognised the true form of African 
continent — Arrival at Linyanti — A grand picho “ Shrewd inquiry — 
Sekeletu in his uniform — A trading party sent to Loanda with ivory — 
Mr. Gabriel’s kindness to them — Difficulties in trading — Two Makololo 
forays during our absence — Report of the country to the N.E. — Death 
of influential men — The Makololo desire to be nearer the market — 
Opinions upon a change of residence — Climate of Barotse valley — Dis¬ 
eases — Author’s fevers not a fair criterion in the matter — The interior an 
inviting field for the philanthropist — Consultations about a path to the 
east coast — Decide on descending north bank of Zambesi —Wait for the 
rainy season — Native way of spending time during period of greatest 
heat — Favourable opening for missionary enterprise — Ben Habib wishes 
to marry — A maiden’s choice — Sekeletu’s hospitality — Sulphuretted 
hydrogen and malaria — Conversations with Makololo — Their moral cha¬ 
racter and conduct — Sekeletu wishes to purchase a sugar-mill, &c. — The 
donkeys — Influence among the natives — “ Food fit for a chief”—Parting 
words of Mamire — Motibe’s excuses. 
On tlie 31st of July we parted with our kind Libonta friends. 
We planted some of our palm-tree seeds in different villages of 
this valley. They began to sprout even while we were there, but, 
unfortunately, they were always destroyed by the mice which 
swarm in every hut. 
At Chitlane’s village, we collected the young of a colony of 
the linkololo {Anastomus lamalligerui), a black, long-legged bhd, 
somewhat larger than a crow, which Hves on sheMsh {Ampullaria)^ 
and breeds in society at certain locahties among the reeds. These 
places are well known, as they continue there from year to year, and 
belong to the chiefs, who at particular times of the year gather most 
of the young. The produce of this harvest,” as they call it, which 
