CSAP. XXX. 
THE OKDEAL MUAYI. 
621 
or a hysBna. This abundance of carnivora made us lose all hope 
of Monahin. We saw footprints of many black rhinoceroses, buf¬ 
faloes, and zebras. 
After a few hours we reached the village of Nyakoba. Two 
men, who accompanied us from Monina to Nyakoba’s, would not 
believe us when we said that we had no beads. It is very trying 
to have one’s veracity doubted, but, on opening the boxes, and 
showing them that all I had was perfectly useless to them, they 
consented to receive some beads off Sekwebu’s waist, and I 
promised to send four yards of calico from Tete, As we came 
away from Monina’s village, a witch-doctor, who had been sent 
for, arrived, and all Monina’s wives went forth into the fields 
that morning fasting. There they would be compelled to drink 
an infusion of a plant named goho,” which is used as an ordeal. 
This ceremony is called muavi,” and is performed in this way. 
When a man suspects that any of his wives have bewitched him, 
he sends for the witch-doctor, and all the wives go forth into the 
field, and remain fasting till that person has made an infusion 
of the plant. They all drink it, each one holding up her hand 
to heaven in attestation of her innocency. Those who vomit it 
are considered innocent, while those whom it purges are pro¬ 
nounced guilty, and put to death by burning. The innocent 
return to their homes, and slaughter a cock as a thank-offering 
to their guardian spirits. The practice of ordeal is common 
among all the negro nations north of the Zambesi. This sum¬ 
mary procedure excited my surprise, for my intercourse with the 
natives here had led me to believe, that the women were held in 
so much estimation that the men would not dare to get rid of 
them thus. But the explanation I received was this. The 
slightest imputation makes them eagerly desire the test; they 
are conscious of being innocent, and have the fullest faith in the 
muavi detecting the guilty alone; hence they go willingly, and 
even eagerly, to (hunk it. When in Angola, a half-caste was 
pointed out to me, who is one of the most successful merchants 
in that country; and the mother of this gentleman, who was 
perfectly free, went, of her own accord, aU the way from Am- 
baca to Cassange, to be killed by the ordeal, her rich son 
making no objection. The same custom prevails among the 
Barotse, Bashubia, and Batoka, but with slight variations. The 
