ut, 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 lamalligerus'), a black, long-legged bird,
somewhat larger than a crow, which lives on shellfish ('Ampullaria'),
and breeds in society at certain localities 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 was
presented to me, was a hundred and seventy-five unfledged birds. They
had been rather late in collecting them, in consequence 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 well as of oxen, it is a sort of feast of joy,
the person to whom they are presented having the honor 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 all 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 trying 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 naturally remembered her