urrence
of a valley, there being so many in every country under the sun; but as
these were branches of that in which the Kasai or Loke flows, and both
that river and its feeders derive their water in a singular manner from
the valley sides, I may be excused for calling particular attention to
the more furrowed nature of the country.

At different points on the slopes of these valleys which we now for the
first time entered, there are oozing fountains, surrounded by clumps of
the same evergreen, straight, large-leaved trees we have noticed along
the streams. These spots are generally covered with a mat of grassy
vegetation, and possess more the character of bogs than of fountains.
They slowly discharge into the stream below, and are so numerous along
both banks as to give a peculiar character to the landscape. These
groups of sylvan vegetation are generally of a rounded form, and the
trunks of the trees are tall and straight, while those on the level
plains above are low and scraggy in their growth. There can be little
doubt but that the water, which stands for months on the plains, soaks
in, and finds its way into the rivers and rivulets by percolating
through the soil, and out by these oozing bogs; and the difference
between the growth of these trees, though they be of different species,
may be a proof that the stuntedness of those on the plains is owing
to being, in the course of each year, more subjected to drought than
moisture.

Reaching the village of Kabinje, in the evening he sent us a present of
tobacco, Mutokuane or "bang" ('Cannabis sativa'), and maize, by the
man who went forward to announce our arrival, and a message expressing
satisfaction at the prospect of having trade with the coast. The westing
we were making brought us among people who are frequently visited by the
Mambari as slave-dealers. This trade causes bloodshed; for when a poor
family is selected as the victims, it is necessary to get rid of the
older members of it, because they are supposed to be able to give
annoyance to the chief afterward by means of enchantments. The belief
in the power of charms for good or evil produces not only honesty, but
a great amount of gentle dealing. The powerful are often restrained in
their despotism from a fear that the weak and helpless may injure them
by their medical knowledge. They have many fears. A man at one of the
villages we came to showed us the grave of his child, and, with much
apparent feeling,