enderest parts of man and
beast, cuts them off, and retires contented: buffaloes are often
castrated by him. Men who know it, squat down, and kill him with knife
or gun. The Zibu or mbuide flies at the tendon Achilles; it is most
likely the Ratel.

The Fisi ea bahari, probably the seal, is abundant in the seas, but the
ratel or badger probably furnished the skins for the Tabernacle: bees
escape from his urine, and he eats their honey in safety; lions and all
other animals fear his attacks of the heel.

The Babemba mix a handful (about twenty-five to a measure) of castor-oil
seeds with the dura and meleza they grind, and usage makes them like it,
the nauseous taste is not perceptible in porridge; the oil is needed
where so much farinaceous or starchy matter exists, and the bowels are
regulated by the mixture: experience has taught them the need of a fatty
ingredient.

[Dr. Livingstone seems to have been anxious to procure all the
information possible from the Arabs respecting the powerful chief
Merere, who is reported to live on the borders of the Salt Water Lake,
which lies between Lake Tanganyika and the East Coast. It would seem as
if Merere held the most available road for travellers passing to the
south-west from Zanzibar, and although the Doctor did not go through his
country, he felt an interest no doubt in ascertaining as much as he
could for the benefit of others.]

Goambari is a prisoner at Merere's, guarded by a thousand or more men,
to prevent him intriguing with Monyungo, who is known as bloodthirsty.
In the third generation Charura's descendants numbered sixty able-bodied
spearmen, Garahenga or Kimamure killed many of them. Charura had six
white attendants with him, but all died before he did, and on becoming
chief he got all his predecessor's wives. Merere is the son of a woman
of the royal stock, and of a common man, hence he is a shade or two
darker than Charura's descendants, who are very light coloured, and have
straight noses. They shave the head, and straight hair is all cut off;
they drink much milk, warm, from the teats of the cows, and think that
it is strengthening by its heat.

_December 23rd, 1870._--Bambarre people suffer hunger now because they
will not plant cassava; this trading party eats all the maize, and sends
to a distance for more, and the Manyuema buy from them with malofu, or
palm-toddy. Rice is all coming into ear, but the Manyuema planted none:
maize is ripening, and mice ar