Inthiscasetheymanifestedtheirusualpropensitytogorethewounded,butourappearanceatthatmomentcausedthemtotakeflight,andthis,withthegoringbeingcontinuedalittle,gavemymentheimpressionthattheywerehelpingawaytheirwoundedcompanionHewasshotbetweenthefourthandfifthribs;theballpassedthroughbothlungsandaribontheoppositeside,andthenlodgedbeneaththeskinBut,thoughitwaseightouncesinweight,yetheranoffsomedistance,andwassecuredonlybythepeopledrivinghimintoapoolofwaterandkillinghimtherewiththeirspearsTheherdranawayinthedirectionofourcamp,andthencameboundingpastusagainWetookrefugeonalargeant-hill,andastheyrushedbyusatfullgallopIhadagoodopportunityofseeingthattheleaderofaherdofaboutsixtywasanoldcow;
alltheothersallowedherafullhalf-lengthintheirfrontOnherwitherssatabouttwentybuffalo-birds`Textorerythrorhynchus’,Smith,whichactthepartofguardianspiritstotheanimalsWhenthebuffaloisquietlyfeeding,thisbirdmaybeseenhoppingonthegroundpickingupfood,orsittingonitsbackriddingitoftheinsectswithwhichtheirskinsaresometimesinfestedThesightofthebirdbeingmuchmoreacutethanthatofthebuffalo,itissoonalarmedbytheapproachofanydanger,and,flyingup,thebuffaloesinstantlyraisetheirheadstodiscoverthecausewhichhasledtothesuddenflightoftheirguardianTheysometimesaccompanythebuffaloesintheirflightonthewing,atothertimestheysitasabovedescribed。
AnotherAfricanbird,namely,the`BuphagaAfricana’,attendstherhinocerosforasimilarpurposeItiscalled“kala“inthelanguageoftheBechuanas。
Whenthesepeoplewishtoexpresstheirdependenceuponanother,theyaddresshimas“myrhinoceros“,asiftheywerethebirds。
ThesatellitesofachiefgobythesamenameThisbirdcannotbesaidtodependentirelyontheinsectsonthatanimal,foritshard,hairlessskinisaprotectionagainstallexceptafewspottedticks;butitseemstobeattachedtothebeast,somewhatasthedomesticdogistoman;
andwhilethebuffaloisalarmedbythesuddenflyingupofitssentinel,therhinoceros,nothavingkeensight,butanacuteear,iswarnedbythecryofitsassociate,the`BuphagaAfricana’。
Therhinocerosfeedsbynight,anditssentinelisfrequentlyheardinthemorningutteringitswell-knowncall,asitsearchesforitsbulkycompanionOnespeciesofthisbird,observedinAngola,possessesabillofapeculiarscooporstoneforcepsform,asifintendedonlytotearoffinsectsfromtheskin;anditsclawsareassharpasneedles,enablingittohangontoananimal’searwhileperformingausefulservicewithinitThissharpnessoftheclawsallowsthebirdtoclingtothenearlyinsensiblecuticlewithoutirritatingthenervesofpainonthetrueskin,exactlyasaburrdoestothehumanhand;
butinthecaseofthe`BuphagaAfricana’and`erythrorhyncha’,otherfoodispartakenof,forweobservedflocksofthemroostingonthereeds,inspotswhereneithertamenorwildanimalsweretobefound。
Themostwaryanimalinaherdisgenerallythe“leader“。
Whenitisshottheothersoftenseematalosswhattodo,andstopinastateofbewildermentIhaveseenthemattempttofolloweachotherandappearquiteconfused,nooneknowingforhalfaminuteormorewheretodirecttheflight。
OnoneoccasionIhappenedtoshoottheleader,ayoungzebramare,whichatsomeformertimehadbeenbittenonthehindlegbyacarnivorousanimal,and,therebymadeunusuallywary,had,inconsequence,becomealeaderIftheyseeeitheroneoftheirownherdoranyotheranimaltakingtoflight,wildanimalsinvariablyfleeThemosttimidthusnaturallyleadstherest。
Itisnotanyotherpeculiarity,butsimplythisprovision,whichisgiventhemforthepreservationoftherace。
Thegreatincreaseofwarinesswhichisseentooccurwhenthefemalesbringforththeiryoung,causesalltheleaderstobeatthattimefemales;
andthereisaprobabilitythattheseparationofsexesintodistinctherds,whichisannuallyobservedinmanyantelopes,arisesfromthesimplefactthatthegreatercautionofthesheantelopesispartakenofonlybytheyoungmales,andtheirmorefrequentflightsnowhavetheeffectofleavingtheoldmalesbehindIaminclinedtobelievethis,because,thoughtheantelopes,asthepallahs,etc。,arefrequentlyinseparateherds,theyareneverseenintheactofexpellingthemales。
Theremaybesomeotherreasoninthecaseoftheelephants;
butthemaleandfemaleelephantsareneverseeninoneherd。
Theyoungmalesremainwiththeirdamsonlyuntiltheyarefullgrown;
andsoconstantlyistheseparationmaintained,thatanyonefamiliarwiththem,onseeingapicturewiththesexesmixed,wouldimmediatelyconcludethattheartisthadmadeitfromhisimagination,andnotfromsight。
DECEMBER2,1855Weremainednearasmallhill,calledMaundo,wherewebegantobefrequentlyinvitedbythehoney-guide`Cuculusindicator’。
Wishingtoascertainthetruthofthenativeassertionthatthisbirdisadeceiver,andbyitscallsometimesleadstoawildbeastandnottohoney,IinquiredifanyofmymenhadeverbeenledbythisfriendlylittlebirdtoanythingelsethanwhatitsnameimpliesOnlyoneofthe114couldsayhehadbeenledtoanelephantinsteadofahive,likemyselfwiththeblackrhinocerosmentionedbeforeIamquiteconvincedthatthemajorityofpeoplewhocommitthemselvestoitsguidanceareledtohoney,andtoitalone。
Onthe3dwecrossedtheRiverMozuma,orRiverofDila,havingtraveledthroughabeautifullyundulatingpastoralcountry。
Tothesouth,andalittleeastofthis,standsthehillTabaCheu,or“WhiteMountain“,fromamassofwhiterock,probablydolomite,onitstopButnoneofthehillsareofanygreataltitude。
WhenIheardthismountaindescribedatLinyantiIthoughttheglisteningsubstancemightbesnow,andmyinformantsweresoloudintheirassertionsofitsexceedinggreataltitudethatIwasstartledwiththeidea;butIhadquiteforgottenthatIwasspeakingwithmenwhohadbeenaccustomedtoplains,andknewnothingofveryhighmountains。
WhenIinquiredwhatthewhitesubstancewas,theyatoncereplieditwasakindofrockIexpectedtohavecomenearertoit,andwouldhaveascendedit;butwewereledtogotothenortheast。
YetIdoubtnotthatthenativetestimonyofitsbeingstoneistrue。
ThedistantrangesofhillswhichlinethebanksoftheZambesionthesoutheast,andlandscapeswhichpermittheeyetorangeovertwentyorthirtymilesatatime,withshortgrassunderourfeet,wereespeciallyrefreshingsightstothosewhohadtraveledformonthstogetherovertheconfinedviewsoftheflatforest,andamongthetangledrankherbageofthegreatvalley。
TheMozuma,orRiverofDila,wasthefirstwater-coursewhichindicatedthatwewerenowontheslopestowardtheeasterncoast。
Itcontainednoflowingwater,butrevealedinitsbankswhatgavemegreatpleasureatthetimepiecesoflignite,possiblyindicatingtheexistenceofamineral,namely,coal,thewantofwhichinthecentralcountryIhadalwaysdeplored。
Againandagainwecametotheruinsoflargetowns,containingtheonlyhieroglyphicsofthiscountry,wornmill-stones,withtheroundballofquartzwithwhichthegrindingwaseffected。
Greatnumbersoftheseballswerelyingabout,showingthatthedepopulationhadbeentheresultofwar;for,hadthepeopleremovedinpeace,theywouldhavetakentheballswiththem。
AttheRiverofDilawesawthespotwhereSebituanelived,andSekwebupointedouttheheapsofbonesofcattlewhichtheMakololohadbeenobligedtoslaughterafterperformingamarchwithgreatherdscapturedfromtheBatokathroughapatchofthefataltsetse。
WhenSebituanesawthesymptomsofthepoison,hegaveorderstohispeopletoeatthecattleHestillhadvastnumbers;andwhentheMatebele,crossingtheZambesioppositethispart,cametoattackhim,heinvitedtheBatokatotakerepossessionoftheirherds,hehavingsomanyastobeunabletoguidethemintheirflightThecountrywasatthattimeexceedinglyrichincattle,and,besidespasturage,itisallwelladaptedforthecultivationofnativeproduce。
Beingontheeasternslopeoftheridge,itreceivesmorerainthananypartofthewestwardSekwebuhadbeeninstructedtopointouttometheadvantagesofthispositionforasettlement,asthatwhichalltheMakololohadneverceasedtoregretItneedednoeulogyfromSekwebu;Iadmireditmyself,andtheenjoymentofgoodhealthinfineopensceneryhadanexhilaratingeffectonmyspiritsThegreatwantwaspopulation,theBatokahavingalltakenrefugeinthehills。
WewerenowinthevicinityofthosewhomtheMakololodeemrebels,andfeltsomeanxietyastohowweshouldbereceived。
Onthe4thwereachedtheirfirstvillageRemainingatadistanceofaquarterofamile,wesenttwomentoinformthemwhowewere,andthatourpurposeswerepeacefulTheheadmancameandspokecivilly,but,whennearlydark,thepeopleofanothervillagearrivedandbehavedverydifferentlyTheybeganbytryingtospearayoungmanwhohadgoneforwaterThentheyapproachedus,andonecameforwardhowlingatthetopofhisvoiceinthemosthideousmanner;hiseyeswereshotout,hislipscoveredwithfoam,andeverymuscleofhisframequivered。
Hecameneartome,and,havingasmallbattle-axeinhishand,alarmedmymenlesthemightdoviolence;buttheywereafraidtodisobeymypreviousorders,andtofollowtheirowninclinationbyknockinghimontheheadIfeltalittlealarmedtoo,butwouldnotshowfearbeforemyownpeopleorstrangers,andkeptasharplook-outonthelittlebattle-axeItseemedtomeacaseofecstasyorpropheticphrensy,voluntarilyproduced。
Ifeltitwouldbeasorrywaytoleavetheworld,togetmyheadchoppedbyamadsavage,thoughthat,perhaps,wouldbepreferabletohydrophobiaordeliriumtremensSekwebutookaspearinhishand,asiftopierceabitofleather,butinrealitytoplungeitintothemanifheofferedviolencetomeAftermycouragehadbeensufficientlytested,Ibeckonedwiththeheadtothecivilheadmantoremovehim,andhedidsobydrawinghimasideThismanpretendednottoknowwhathewasdoingIwouldfainhavefelthispulse,toascertainwhethertheviolenttremblingwerenotfeigned,buthadnotmuchinclinationtogonearthebattle-axeagainTherewas,however,aflowofperspiration,andtheexcitementcontinuedfullyhalfanhour,thengraduallyceased。
Thisparoxysmisthedirectoppositeofhypnotism,anditissingularthatithasnotbeentriedinEuropeaswellasclairvoyance。
Thissecondbatchofvisitorstooknopainstoconcealtheircontemptforoursmallparty,sayingtoeachother,inatoneoftriumph,“TheyarequiteaGodsend!”literally,“Godhasapportionedthemtous。”“Theyarelostamongthetribes!”“Theyhavewanderedinordertobedestroyed,andwhatcantheydowithoutshieldsamongsomany?”SomeofthemaskediftherewerenootherpartiesSekeletuhadorderedmymennottotaketheirshields,asinthecaseofmyfirstcompany。
Wewerelookeduponasunarmed,andaneasypreyWepreparedagainstanightattackbydischargingandreloadingourguns,whichwereexactlythesameinnumberfiveasontheformeroccasion,asIallowedmylatecompanionstoretainthosewhichIpurchasedatLoanda。
Wewerenotmolested,butsomeoftheenemytriedtoleadustowardtheBashukulompo,whoareconsideredtobethefiercestraceinthisquarter。
AsweknewourdirectiontotheconfluenceoftheKafueandZambesi,wedeclinedtheirguidance,andthecivilheadmanoftheeveningbeforethencamealongwithusCrowdsofnativeshoveredroundusintheforest;
butheranforwardandexplained,andwewerenotmolested。
Thatnightwesleptbyalittlevillageunderalowrangeofhills,whicharecalledChizamenaThecountryhereismorewoodythanonthehighlandswehadleft,butthetreesarenotingenerallarge。
Greatnumbersofthemhavebeenbrokenoffbyelephantsafootortwofromtheground:theythusseempollardedfromthatpoint。
Thisanimalneverseriouslylessensthenumberoftrees;indeed,Ihaveoftenbeenstruckbytheverylittledamagehedoesinaforest。
Hisfoodconsistsmoreofbulbs,tubers,roots,andbranches,thananythingelseWheretheyhavebeenfeeding,greatnumbersoftrees,asthickasaman’sbody,areseentwisteddownorbrokenoff,inorderthattheymayfeedonthetendershootsatthetops。