Nzoe Antelopes. Little Windermere, Karague.
been hot, because the higher one ascended the nearer he
got to the sun.”
This led on to one argument after another, on geology,
geography, and all the natural sciences, and ended by
RAmanika showing me an iron much the shape and size
of a carrot. This , he said was found by one of his villagers
whilst tilling the ground, buried some way down
below the surface; but dig as he would, he could not remove
it, and therefore called some more men to his help.
Still the whole of them united, could not lift the iron,
which induced them, considering there must be some
magic in it, to inform the king. “ Now,” says RAmanika,
“ I no sooner went there and saw the iron, than, without
the smallest exertion, I uplifted the iron, and brought it
here as you see it. What can such a sign mean V’ “ Of
course that you are the rightful king,” said his flatterers.
“ Then,” said RAmanika, in exuberant spirits, “ during
Dagara’s time, as the king was sitting with many other
men outside his hut, a fearful storm of thunder and
lightning arose, and a thunderbolt struck the ground in
the midst of them, which dispersed all the men but
Dagara, who calmly took up the thunderbolt and placed
it in the palace. I, however, no sooner came into possession,
and Rogero began to contend with me, than the
thunderbolt vanished. How would you account for this1?”
The flatterers said, “ I t is clear as possible; God gave the
thunderbolt to Dagara as a sign he was pleased with him
and his rule; but when he found two brothers contending,
he withdrew it to show their conduct was wicked.”
5 th.—RAmanika in the morning sent me a young
male nzoe (water-boc)* which his canoe-men had caught
in the high rushes at the head of the lake, by the king’s
order, to please me; for I had heard this peculiar animal
described in such strange ways at Kaze, both by Musa
* Since named by Dr P. L. Sclater “ Tragelaphus Spekii.” These nzoe
have been drawn by Mr Wolf, from specimens brought home by myself.