On the 31st of July we parted with our kind Libonta friends.  We planted some of our palm-tree seeds in different villages of this valley.  They began to sprout even while we were there, but, 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 when an ox was slaughtered, or when the tribute of other food, which he receives in lieu of Sekeletu, came in his way, and sent frequent presents to her.  This moved the envy of one of the Makololo who hated Mpololo, and, wishing to vex him, he entered the daughter’s hut by night, and strangled both her and her child.