road, and that, whilst passing the
identical spot where this disaster occurred, one of the men was attacked
by the same snake, with precisely the same results; in fact, when
looking for a place in which to bury him they saw the grave of Losi, and
the two lie side by side.

Natal colonists will probably recognise the Mamba in this snake; it is
much to be desired that specimens should be procured for purposes of
comparison. In Southern Africa so great is the dread it inspires that
the Kaffirs will break up a Kraal and forsake the place if a Mamba takes
up his quarters in the vicinity, and, from what we have seen above, with
no undue caution.

Susi, to whom this snake is known in the Shupanga tongue as "Bubu,"
describes it as about twelve feet long, dark in colour, of a dirty blue
under the belly, with red markings like the wattles of a cock on the
head. The Arabs go so far as to say that it is known to oppose the
passage of a caravan at times. Twisting its tail round a branch, it will
strike one man after another in the head with fatal certainty. Their
remedy is to fill a pot with boiling water, which is put on the head and
carried under the tree! The snake dashes his head into this and is
killed--the story is given for what it is worth.

It would seem that at Ujiji the natives, as in other places, cannot bear
to have snakes killed. The "Chatu," a species of python, is common, and,
from being highly favoured, becomes so tame as to enter houses at night.
A little meal is placed on the stool, which the uncanny visitor laps up,
and then takes its departure--the men significantly say they never saw
it with their own eyes. Another species utters a cry, much like the
crowing of a young cock; this is well authenticated. Yet another black
variety has a spine like a blackthorn at the end of the tail, and its
bite is extremely deadly.

At the same time it must be added that, considering the enormous number
of reptiles in Africa, it rarely occurs that anyone is bitten, and a few
months' residence suffices to dispel the dread which most travellers
feel at the outset.

_February, 1874._--No further incident occurred worthy of special
notice. At last the coast town of Bagamoio came in sight, and before
many hours were over, one of Her Majesty's cruisers conveyed the Acting
Consul, Captain Prideaux, from Zanzibar to the spot which the cortege
had reached. Arrangements were quickly made for transporting the remains
of Dr. Livingst