Itaca or Itaka:
for diaphoresis in fever; this root is brought as an article of barter
by the Arabs to Kilimane; the natives purchase it eagerly.
Mukundukundu: a decoction used as a febrifuge in the same way as quinine;
it grows plentifully at Shupanga, and the wood is used as masts
for launches. I may here add the recipe of Brother Pedro of Zumbo
for the cure of poisoned wounds, in order to show the similarity of practice
among the natives of the Zambesi, from whom, in all probability,
he acquired his knowledge, and the Bushmen of the Kalahari.
It consists of equal parts of the roots of the Calumba, Musheteko, Abutua,
Batatinya, Paregekanto, Itaka, or Kapande, put into a bottle and covered
with common castor-oil. As I have before observed, I believe
the oily ingredient is the effectual one, and ought to be tried by any one
who has the misfortune to get wounded by a Bushman's or Banyai arrow.
-
The only other metal, besides gold, we have in abundance in this region,
is iron, and that is of excellent quality. In some places it is obtained
from what is called the specular iron ore, and also from black oxide.
The latter has been well roasted in the operations of nature,
and contains a large proportion of the metal. It occurs generally
in tears or rounded lumps, and is but slightly magnetic.
When found in the beds of rivers, the natives know of its existence
by the quantity of oxide on the surface, and they find no difficulty
in digging it with pointed sticks. They consider English iron as "rotten";
and I have seen, when a javelin of their own iron lighted on
the cranium of a hippopotamus, it curled up like the proboscis of a butterfly,
and the owner would prepare it for future use by straightening it COLD
with two stones. I brought home some of the hoes which Sekeletu gave me
to purchase a canoe, also some others obtained in Kilimane,
and they have been found of such good quality that a friend of mine
in Birmingham has made an Enfield rifle of them.*
-
* The following remarks are by a practical blacksmith,
one of the most experienced men in the gun-trade. In this trade
various qualities of iron are used, and close attention is required
to secure for each purpose the quality of iron peculiarly adapted to it:
The iron in the two spades strongly resembles Swedish or Russian;
it is highly carbonized.
The same qualities are found in both spades.
When chilled in water it has all the properties of steel:
see the piece marked I, chilled at one end, and left soft at the other.
When worked hot, it is very malleable: but cold, it breaks
quite short and brittle.
