The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868Livingstone, David
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The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868
Livingstone, David
Africa, Central -- Description and travel
Advantage has been taken by the people, of spots where the Lokuzhwa
goes round three parts of a circle, to erect their stockaded villages.
This is the case here, and the water, being stagnant, engenders
disease. The country abounds in a fine light blue flowering perennial
pea, which the people make use of as a relish. At present the blossoms
only are collected and boiled. On inquiring the name, _chilobe_, the
men asked me if we had none in our country. On replying in the
negative, they looked with pity on us: "What a wretched, country not
to have chilobe." It is on the highlands above; we never saw it
elsewhere! Another species of pea _(Chilobe Weza)_, with reddish
flowers, is eaten in the same way; but it has spread but little in
comparison. It is worth remarking that porridge of maize or sorghum is
never offered without some pulse, beans, or bean leaves, or flowers,
they seem to feel the need of it, or of pulse, which is richer in
flesh-formers than the porridge.
Last night a loud clapping of hands by the men was followed by several
half-suppressed screams by a woman. They were quite _eldritch_, as if
she could not get them out. Then succeeded a lot of utterances as if
she were in ecstasy, to which a man responded, "Moio, moio." The
utterances, so far as I could catch, were in five-syllable
snatches--abrupt and laboured. I wonder if this "bubbling or boiling
over" has been preserved as the form in which the true prophets of old
gave forth their "burdens"? One sentence, frequently repeated towards
the close of the effusion, was "_linyama uta_," "flesh of the bow,"
showing that the Pythoness loved venison killed by the bow. The people
applauded, and attended, hoping, I suppose, that rain would follow her
efforts. Next day she was duly honoured by drumming and dancing.[35]
Prevalent beliefs seem to be persistent in certain tribes. That
strange idea of property in man that permits him to be sold to another
is among the Arabs, Manganja, Makoa, Waiyau, but not among Kaffirs or
Zulus, and Bechuanas. If we exclude the Arabs, two families of
Africans alone are slavers on the east side of the Continent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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