e foot about to descend on his legs, parted them,
and drew in his breath as if to resist the pressure of the other foot,
which he expected would next descend on his body. He saw the whole
length of the under part of the enormous brute pass over him; the horse
got away safely. I have heard of but one other authentic instance in
which an elephant went over a man without injury, and, for any one who
knows the nature of the bush in which this occurred, the very thought
of an encounter in it with such a foe is appalling. As the thorns are
placed in pairs on opposite sides of the branches, and these turn round
on being pressed against, one pair brings the other exactly into the
position in which it must pierce the intruder. They cut like knives.
Horses dread this bush extremely; indeed, most of them refuse to face
its thorns.

On reaching Mburuma's village, his brother came to meet us. We explained
the reason of our delay, and he told us that we were looked upon with
alarm. He said that Siriatomba had been killed near the village of
Selole, and hence that man's fears. He added that the Italian had come
talking of peace, as we did, but had kidnapped children and bought ivory
with them, and that we were supposed to be following the same calling. I
pointed to my men, and asked if any of these were slaves, and if we had
any children among them, and I think we satisfied him that we were true
men. Referring to our ill success in hunting the day before, he said,
"The man at whose village you remained was in fault in allowing you to
want meat, for he had only to run across to Mburuma; he would have
given him a little meal, and, having sprinkled that on the ground as an
offering to the gods, you would have found your elephant." The chiefs in
these parts take upon themselves an office somewhat like the priesthood,
and the people imagine that they can propitiate the Deity through them.
In illustration of their ideas, it may be mentioned that, when we were
among the tribes west of Semalembue, several of the people came forward
and introduced themselves--one as a hunter of elephants, another as
a hunter of hippopotami, a third as a digger of pitfalls--apparently
wishing me to give them medicine for success in their avocations, as
well as to cure the diseases of those to whom I was administering the
drugs. I thought they attributed supernatural power to them, for, like
all Africans, they have unbounded faith in the efficacy of charms; but