trembling were not feigned, but had not much inclination to go
near the battle-axe again. There was, however, a flow of perspiration,
and the excitement continued fully half an hour, then gradually ceased.
This paroxysm is the direct opposite of hypnotism, and it is singular
that it has not been tried in Europe as well as clairvoyance. This
second batch of visitors took no pains to conceal their contempt for our
small party, saying to each other, in a tone of triumph, "They are quite
a Godsend!" literally, "God has apportioned them to us." "They are lost
among the tribes!" "They have wandered in order to be destroyed, and
what can they do without shields among so many?" Some of them asked if
there were no other parties. Sekeletu had ordered my men not to take
their shields, as in the case of my first company. We were looked upon
as unarmed, and an easy prey. We prepared against a night attack by
discharging and reloading our guns, which were exactly the same in
number (five) as on the former occasion, as I allowed my late companions
to retain those which I purchased at Loanda. We were not molested, but
some of the enemy tried to lead us toward the Bashukulompo, who are
considered to be the fiercest race in this quarter. As we knew our
direction to the confluence of the Kafue and Zambesi, we declined their
guidance, and the civil head man of the evening before then came along
with us. Crowds of natives hovered round us in the forest; but he ran
forward and explained, and we were not molested. That night we slept by
a little village under a low range of hills, which are called Chizamena.
The country here is more woody than on the high lands we had left, but
the trees are not in general large. Great numbers of them have been
broken off by elephants a foot or two from the ground: they thus seem
pollarded from that point. This animal never seriously lessens the
number of trees; indeed, I have often been struck by the very little
damage he does in a forest. His food consists more of bulbs, tubers,
roots, and branches, than any thing else. Where they have been feeding,
great numbers of trees, as thick as a man's body, are seen twisted down
or broken off, in order that they may feed on the tender shoots at the
tops. They are said sometimes to unite in wrenching down large trees.
The natives in the interior believe that the elephant never touches
grass, and I never saw evidence of his having grazed until we came near
to Tete, and