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。