then carefully smoothed off; afterwards it is thoroughly sun-dried. A
light fire of dried cow-dung, or corn-stalks, or straw, and grass with
twigs, is made in a hole in the ground for the final baking. Ornaments
are made on these pots of black lead, or before being hardened by the
sun they are ornamented for a couple or three inches near the rim, all
the tracery being in imitation of plaited basket work.

Chirikaloma says that the surname of the Makoa, to whom he belongs, is
Mirazi--others have the surname Melola or Malola--Chimposola. All had
the half-moon mark when in the south-east, but now they leave it off a
good deal and adopt the Waiyau marks, because of living in their
country. They show no indications of being named after beasts and
birds. Mirazi was an ancestor; they eat all clean animals, but refuse
the hyaena, leopard, or any beast that devours dead men.[13]

_25th June, 1866._--On leaving Chirikaloma we came on to Namalo,
whose village that morning had been deserted, the people moving off in
a body towards the Matambwé country, where food is more abundant. A
poor little girl was left in one of the huts from being too weak to
walk, probably an orphan. The Arab slave-traders flee from the path as
soon as they hear of our approach. The Rovuma is from 56 to 80 yards
wide here. No food to be had for either love or money.

Near many of the villages we observe a wand bent and both ends
inserted into the ground: a lot of medicine, usually the bark of
trees, is buried beneath it. When sickness is in a village, the men
proceed to the spot, wash themselves with the medicine and water,
creep through beneath the bough, then bury the medicine and the evil
influence together. This is also used to keep off evil spirits, wild
beasts, and enemies.