OncomingtothevillagesunderMarimba，anoldman，wecrossedtheUnguesi，arivuletwhich，liketheLekone，runsbackwardItfallsintotheLeeambyealittleabovethecommencementoftherapidsThestratifiedgneiss，whichistheunderlyingrockofmuchofthispartofthecountry，dipstowardthecentreofthecontinent，butthestrataareoftensomuchelevatedastoappearnearlyontheiredgesRocksofaugitictraparefoundinvariouspositionsonit；thegeneralstrikeisnorthandsouth；
butwhenthegneisswasfirstseen，neartothebasaltofthefalls，itwaseasterlyandwesterly，andthediptowardthenorth，asiftheeruptiveforceofthebasalthadplaceditinthatposition。
Wepassedtheremainsofaverylargetown，which，fromtheonlyevidenceofantiquityaffordedbyruinsinthiscountry，musthavebeeninhabitedforalongperiod；themillstonesofgneiss，trap，andquartzwereworndowntwoandahalfinchesperpendicularlyTheivorygrave-stonessoonrotawayThoseofMoyara’sfather，whomusthavediednotmorethanadozenyearsago，werecrumblingintopowder；
andwefoundthistobegenerallythecaseallovertheBatokacountry。
Theregionaroundisprettywellcoveredwithforest；butthereisabundanceofopenpasturage，and，asweareascendinginaltitude，wefindthegrasstobeshort，andaltogetherunlikethetangledherbageoftheBarotsevalley。
ItisremarkablethatwenowmeetwiththesametreeswesawindescendingtowardthewestcoastAkindofsterculia，whichisthemostcommontreeatLoanda，andthebaobab，flourishhere；andthetreecalledmoshuka，whichwefoundnearTalaMungongo，wasnowyieldingitsfruit，whichresemblessmallapplesThepeoplebroughtittousinlargequantities：
ittasteslikeapear，buthasaharshrind，andfourlargeseedswithin。
Wefoundprodigiousquantitiesofthisfruitaswewentalong。
Thetreeattainstheheightof15or20feet，andhasleaves，hardandglossy，aslargeasone’shandThetreeitselfisneverfoundonthelowlands，butismentionedwithapprobationattheendoftheworkofBowditch。
Mymenalmostliveduponthefruitformanydays。
Therainshadfallenonlypartially：inmanypartsthesoilwasquitedryandtheleavesdroopedmournfully，butthefruit-treesareunaffectedbyadrought，exceptwhenithappensatthetimeoftheirblossoming。
TheBatokaofmypartydeclaredthatnooneeverdiesofhungerhere。
Weobtainedbasketsofmaneko，acuriousfruit，withahornyrind，splitintofivepieces：thesesections，whenchewed，arefullofafineglutinousmatter，andsweetlikesugarTheseedsarecoveredwithayellowsilkydown，andarenoteaten：theentirefruitisaboutthesizeofawalnutWegotalsoabundanceofthemotsouriandmamosho。
WesawtheBatokaeatingthebeanscallednju，whicharecontainedinalargesquarepod；alsothepulpbetweentheseedsofnuxvomica，andthemotsintselaOtherfruitsbecomeripeatotherseasons，asthemotsikiri，whichyieldsanoil，andisamagnificenttree，bearingmassesofdarkevergreenleaves；sothat，fromthegeneralplenty，onecanreadilybelievethestatementmadebytheBatoka。
Weheresawtreesallowedtostandingardens，andsomeoftheBatokaevenplantthem，apracticeseennowhereelseamongnatives。
AspeciesofleucodendronaboundsWhenwemeetwithitonaspotonwhichnorainhasyetfallen，weseethattheyoungonestwisttheirleavesroundduringtheheatoftheday，sothattheedgeonlyisexposedtotheraysofthesun；theyhavethenahalftwistonthepetiole。
Theacaciasinthesamecircumstances，andalsothemopane`Bauhania’，foldtheirleavestogether，and，bypresentingthesmallestpossiblesurfacetothesun，simulatetheeucalyptiofAustralia。
Chapter27。
LowHillsBlackSoldier-Ants；theirCannibalism
ThePlastereranditsChloroformWhiteAnts；theirUsefulness
Mutokwane-smoking；itsEffectsBorderTerritory
HealthyTable-landsGeologicalFormationCicadae
TreesFlowersRiverKalomoPhysicalConformationofCountry
Ridges，sanatoriaAwoundedBuffaloassistedBuffalo-bird
Rhinoceros-birdLeadersofHerdsTheHoney-guide
TheWhiteMountainMozumaRiverSebituane’soldHome
HostileVillagePropheticPhrensyFoodoftheElephant
Ant-hillsFriendlyBatokaClothingdespisedMethodofSalutation
WildFruitsTheCaptivereleasedLongingsforPeace
Pingola’sConquestsTheVillageofMonzeAspectoftheCountry
VisitfromtheChiefMonzeandhisWifeCentralhealthyLocations
FriendlyFeelingsofthePeopleinreferencetoawhiteResident
FertilityoftheSoilBashukulompoModeofdressingtheirHair
GratitudeofthePrisonerwereleasedKindnessandRemarksofMonze’sSisterDipoftheRocksVegetation
GenerosityoftheInhabitantsTheirAnxietyforMedicine
Hooping-coughBirdsandRain。
NOVEMBER27THStillatMarimba’sIntheadjacentcountrypalmsabound，butnoneofthatspecieswhichyieldstheoil；indeed，thatismetwithonlynearthecoastTherearenumbersofflowersandbulbsjustshootingupfromthesoilThesurfaceisrough，andbrokenintogullies；
and，thoughthecountryisparched，ithasnotthatappearance，somanytreeshavingputforththeirfreshgreenleavesatthetimetherainsoughttohavecomeAmongthereststandsthemola，withitsdarkbrownish-greencolorandspreadingoak-likeform。
InthedistancetherearerangesoflowhillsOnthenorthwehaveonecalledKanjele，andtotheeastthatofKaonka，towhichweproceedto-morrow。
Wehavemadeaconsiderabledetourtothenorth，bothonaccountofourwishtoavoidthetsetseandtovisitthepeopleThoseofKaonkaarethelastBatokaweshallmeet，infriendshipwiththeMakololo。
Walkingdowntotheforest，aftertellingthesepoorpeople，forthefirsttimeintheirlives，thattheSonofGodhadsolovedthemastocomedownfromheaventosavethem，Iobservedmanyregimentsofblacksoldier-antsreturningfromtheirmaraudingexpeditionsTheseIhaveoftennoticedbeforeindifferentpartsofthecountry；andaswehad，evenatKolobeng，anopportunityofobservingtheirhabits，ImaygiveashortaccountofthemhereTheyareblack，withaslighttingeofgray，abouthalfaninchinlength，andonthelineofmarchappearthreeorfourabreast；whendisturbed，theyutteradistincthissingorchirpingsoundTheyfollowafewleaderswhonevercarryanything，andtheyseemtobeguidedbyascentleftonthepathbytheleaders；for，happeningoncetothrowthewaterfrommybasinbehindabushwhereIwasdressing，itlightedonthepathbywhicharegimenthadpassedbeforeIbeganmytoilette，andwhentheyreturnedtheyweretotallyatalosstofindthewayhome，thoughtheycontinuedsearchingforitnearlyhalfanhour。
Itwasfoundonlybyonemakingalongcircuitroundthewettedspot。
ThescentmayhaveindicatedalsotheproprietyoftheirgoinginonedirectiononlyIfahandfulofearthisthrownonthepathatthemiddleoftheregiment，eitheronitswayhomeorabroad，thosebehinditarecompletelyatalossastotheirfartherprogress。
Whateveritmaybethatguidesthem，theyseemonlytoknowthattheyarenottoreturn，fortheycomeuptothehandfulofearth，butwillnotcrossit，thoughnotaquarterofaninchhigh。
Theywheelroundandregaintheirpathagain，butneverthinkofretreatingtothenest，ortotheplacewheretheyhavebeenstealing。
Afteraquarterofanhour’sconfusionandhissing，onemaymakeacircuitofafootroundtheearth，andsoonallfollowinthatroundaboutwayWhenontheirwaytoattacktheabodeofthewhiteants，thelattermaybeobservedrushingaboutinastateofgreatperturbation。
Theblackleaders，distinguishedfromtherestbytheirgreatersize，especiallyintheregionofthesting，thenseizethewhiteantsonebyone，andinflictasting，whichseemstoinjectaportionoffluidsimilarineffecttochloroform，asitrenderstheminsensible，butnotdead，andonlyabletomoveoneortwofrontlegsAstheleaderstossthemononeside，therankandfileseizethemandcarrythemoff。
OnemorningIsawapartygoingforthonwhathasbeensupposedtobeaslave-huntingexpeditionTheycametoastick，which，beinginclosedinawhite-antgallery，Iknewcontainednumbersofthisinsect；
butIwassurprisedtoseetheblacksoldierspassingwithouttouchingit。
Iliftedupthestickandbrokeaportionofthegallery，andthenlaiditacrossthepathinthemiddleoftheblackregiment。
Thewhiteants，whenuncovered，scamperedaboutwithgreatcelerity，hidingthemselvesundertheleaves，butattractedlittleattentionfromtheblackmarauderstilloneoftheleaderscaughtthem，and，applyinghissting，laidtheminaninstantononesideinastateofcoma；theothersthenpromptlyseizedthemandrushedoff。
OnfirstobservingthesemaraudinginsectsatKolobeng，Ihadtheidea，imbibedfromaworkofnolessauthoritythanBrougham’sPaley，thattheyseizedthewhiteantsinordertomakethemslaves；
but，havingrescuedanumberofcaptives，Iplacedthemaside，andfoundthattheyneverrecoveredfromthestateofinsensibilityintowhichtheyhadbeenthrownbytheleadersIsupposedthenthattheinsensibilityhadbeencausedbythesoldiersholdingthenecksofthewhiteantstootightlywiththeirmandibles，asthatisthewaytheyseizethem；buteventhepupaewhichItookfromthesoldier-ants，thoughplacedinafavorabletemperature，neverbecamedevelopedInadditiontothis，ifanyoneexaminestheorificebywhichtheblackantentershisbarracks，hewillalwaysfindalittleheapofhardheadsandlegsofwhiteants，showingthattheseblackruffiansareagradelowerthanslave-stealers，beingactuallycannibalsElsewhereIhaveseenabodyofthemremovingtheireggsfromaplaceinwhichtheywerelikelytobefloodedbytherains；Icalculatedtheirnumberstobe1260；
theycarriedtheireggsacertaindistance，thenlaidthemdown，whenotherstookthemandcarriedthemfartheronEveryantinthecolonyseemedtobeemployedinthislaboriousoccupation，yettherewasnotawhiteslave-antamongthemOnecoldmorningIobservedabandofanotherspeciesofblackantreturningeachwithacaptive；
therecouldbenodoubtoftheircannibalpropensities，forthe“brutalsoldiery“hadalreadydeprivedthewhiteantsoftheirlegs。
Thefluidinthestingsofthisspeciesisofanintenselyacidtaste。
IhadoftennoticedthestupefactionproducedbytheinjectionofafluidfromthestingofcertaininsectsbeforeItisparticularlyobservableinahymenopterousinsectcalledthe“plasterer“`PelopaeusEckloni’，whichinhishabitsresemblessomewhatthemason-beeItisaboutaninchandaquarterinlength，jetblackincolor，andmaybeobservedcomingintohouses，carryinginitsforelegsapelletofsoftplasteraboutthesizeofapeaWhenithasfixeduponaconvenientspotforitsdwelling，itformsacellaboutthesamelengthasitsbody，plasteringthewallssoastobequitethinandsmoothinside。
Whenthisisfinished，allexceptaroundhole，itbringssevenoreightcaterpillarsorspiders，eachofwhichisrenderedinsensible，butnotkilled，bythefluidfromitsstingTheseitdepositsinthecell，andthenoneofitsownlarvae，which，asitgrows，findsfoodquitefresh。
Theinsectsareinastateofcoma，butthepresenceofvitalitypreventsputridity，orthatdryingupwhichwouldotherwisetakeplaceinthisclimateBythetimetheyounginsectisfullgrownanditswingscompletelydeveloped，thefoodisdoneItthenpiercesthewallofitscellattheformerdoor，orplacelastfilledupbyitsparent，fliesoff，andbeginslifeforitselfTheplastererisamostusefulinsect，asitactsasacheckontheinordinateincreaseofcaterpillarsandspiders。
Itmayoftenbeseenwithacaterpillarorevenacricketmuchlargerthanitself，buttheylieperfectlystillaftertheinjectionofchloroform，andtheplasterer，placingarowoflegsoneachsideofthebody，usesbothlegsandwingsintrailingthevictimalong。
Thefluidineachcaseis，Isuppose，designedtocauseinsensibility，andlikewiseactasanantiseptic，thedeathofthevictimsbeingwithoutpain。
Withouttheseblacksoldier-antsthecountrywouldbeoverrunbythewhiteants；theyaresoextremelyprolific，andnothingcanexceedtheenergywithwhichtheyworkTheyperformamostimportantpartintheeconomyofnaturebyburyingvegetablematterasquicklybeneaththesoilastheferociousredantdoesdeadanimalsubstances。