Chap. XXV. 
OHITLANE’S VILLAGE. 
495 
was presented to me, was a hundred and seventy-five unfledged 
birds. They had been rather late in collecting them, in conse¬ 
quence of waiting for the arrival of Mpololo, who acts the part 
of chief, but gave them to me, knowing that this would be 
pleasing to him, otherwise this colony would have yielded double 
the amount. The old ones appear along the Leeambye in vast 
flocks, and look lean and scraggy. The young are very fat, and 
when roasted are esteemed one of the dainties of the Barotse 
valley. In presents of this kind, as weU as of oxen, it is a sort 
of feast of joy, the person to whom they are presented having the 
honour of distributing the materials of the feast. We generally 
slaughtered every ox at the village where it was presented, and 
then our friends and we rejoiced together. 
The village of Chitlane is situated, like aU others in the Barotse 
valley, on an eminence, over which floods do not rise ; but this 
last year, the water approached nearer to an entire submergence 
of the whole valley, than has been known in the memory of man. 
Great numbers of people were now suffering from sickness, which 
always prevails when the waters are drying up; and I found much 
demand for the medicines I had brought from Loanda. The great 
variation of the temperature each day, must have a trymg effect 
upon the health. At this village there is a real Indian banian- 
tree, which has spread itself over a considerable space by means 
of roots from its branches; it has been termed in consequence 
the tree with legs ” (more oa maotu). It is curious that trees 
of this family are looked upon with veneration, and all the way 
from the Barotse to Loanda, are thought to be preservatives from 
evil. 
On reaching Naliele on the 1st of August, we found Mpololo 
in great affliction on account of the death of his daughter and 
her child. She had been lately confined; and her father natu¬ 
rally remembered her when an ox was slaughtered, or when the 
tribute of other food, which he receives in heu of Sekeletu, came 
in his way, and sent frequent presents to her. Tliis moved the 
envy of one of the Makololo who hated Mpololo, and, wishing to 
vex him, he entered the daughter’s hut by night, and strangled 
both her and her child. He then tried to make fire in the hut 
and burn it, so that the murder might not be Imown; but the 
squeaking noise of rubbing the sticks awakened a servant, and 
