Missionary Travels and Researches in South AfricaLivingstone, David
Religion
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
Livingstone, David
Missions -- South Africa; South Africa -- Description and travel
of them as their children." It is the same old story, justifying a
monstrous wrong on pretense of taking care of those degraded portions of
humanity which can not take care of themselves; doing evil that good may
come.
These Arabs, or Moors, could read and write their own language readily;
and, when speaking about our Savior, I admired the boldness with which
they informed me "that Christ was a very good prophet, but Mohammed was
far greater." And with respect to their loathing of pork, it may have
some foundation in their nature; for I have known Bechuanas, who had
no prejudice against the wild animal, and ate the tame without scruple,
yet, unconscious of any cause of disgust, vomit it again. The Bechuanas
south of the lake have a prejudice against eating fish, and allege a
disgust to eating any thing like a serpent. This may arise from the
remnants of serpent-worship floating in their minds, as, in addition
to this horror of eating such animals, they sometimes render a sort
of obeisance to living serpents by clapping their hands to them, and
refusing to destroy the reptiles; but in the case of the hog they are
conscious of no superstitious feeling.
Having parted with our Arab friends, we proceeded down the Marile till
we re-entered the Leeambye, and went to the town of Ma-Sekeletu (mother
of Sekeletu), opposite the island of Loyela. Sekeletu had always
supplied me most liberally with food, and, as soon as I arrived,
presented me with a pot of boiled meat, while his mother handed me a
large jar of butter, of which they make great quantities for the purpose
of anointing their bodies. He had himself sometimes felt the benefit of
my way of putting aside a quantity of the meat after a meal, and had
now followed my example by ordering some to be kept for me. According
to their habits, every particle of an ox is devoured at one meal; and as
the chief can not, without a deviation from their customs, eat alone, he
is often compelled to suffer severely from hunger before another meal is
ready. We henceforth always worked into each other's hands by saving a
little for each other; and when some of the sticklers for use and custom
grumbled, I advised them to eat like men, and not like vultures.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account