44^ ■ XOSA ARTS AND CRAFTS. 



oxen that Xosa boys burn to-day show the same feature in the 

 immense size of the horns. 



The Kafirs have names for copper, u-hcdu, lead, i-kogiiin, 

 and brass, i-xiiia, but the metal, iiit-siiiibi, par excellence, wa> 

 iron, int-s'niibi or isi-iiyili. In olden times iron was smelted. 

 iiyibilikisa, from the ore, isi-iiyiti^ by a smelter, i-lala, by heating- 

 it in a furnace, isi-dlangaMa, where it was blown upon, futa, 

 with a powerful bellows, im-futo, till it was heated to a white 

 heat, nhn-qaqauU, and then run off into the sand. The iron 

 thus obtained, or later, purchased from the trader, was iforged 

 into shape, kanda iyihve, by a blacksmith, um-kaiidi, in a smithy, 

 isi-kando, who used a forge, i-siko, consisting of a hillock of 

 clay about 2 feet square and 18 inches high, in which a fire of 

 wood-charcoal, ama-lalile, was blown up by the bellows ; a stone 

 anvil, isi-kandelo, a round stone for a hammer, isa-ndo, and 

 tongs, ii-dlazvu or n-dlaivaiia. The smithwork or thing forged 

 was iim-kando. 



Of his iron the blacksmith, like Tubal-Cain, the founder 

 of the art, made firstly weapons, iai-kall (lit. '.utting things), of 

 all kinds, and thereafter tools and articles c f use for cultiva- 

 tion, woodworking, etc. The weapons were mostly assegais or 

 javelins or spears, imi-konto, of various kinds, and included the 

 following varieties : — 



A long-bladed assegai, iii-fslutnfslie, 14 inches in length from 

 its junction with the shaft to its point, and an inch or more in 

 breadth. 



A long assegai, isi-gixi, with a blade of 10 in. in length and 

 a rounded neck of 3 in. or so behind the blade. 



A shorter assegai, i-rwana, about 8 in. long without neck. 

 It was used also as a cutting instrument, e.g., in circumcising 

 boys. 



A notched assegai, is-aka, with a blade of about 6 in. and a 

 four-sided neck of similar length, which was beautifully notched 

 on the four edges with small teeth or barblets. 



A barbed assegai, in-konjanc (lit. the swallow), with a head 

 3 in. long, and a neck with usually two, .sometimes three or four, 

 large barbs like those of an arrow. This kind was specially 

 used in hunting. 



A stabbing spear, i-iicitla, with a blade of 5 in. and a neck 

 of 7 or 8 in., which was not used, like most of the foregoing 

 for hurling, binaa or posa^ but for stabbing, lilaba, or hlansa, or 

 gwaza. 



A dancing assegai, i-qoqa, with a blade 4 in. long, and a neck 

 of 6 in., richly ornamented with notching. 



A boring assegai, iiig-qaiida, with a four-sided head 10 in. 

 long and a neck of 3 in. 



Other names included isi-hele or isi-nkcmpe, a broad-bladed 

 assegai used for cutting meat, etc. ; i-josi, a large broad spear ; 

 ■i-kebe, a short dagger; i-rele, a short-handled stabbing and slash- 

 ing assegai used in hand-to-hand conflict, which most nearly 

 corresponded to the white man's sword ; and a three or four- 



