XOSA ARTS AND CRAFTS. 445 



of which the general name was in-duku. The induku was usually 

 a stick with a knob, isi-kaiida, of moderate size, w^hich could be 

 used either for throwing at game or a foe, or in hand-to-hand 

 conflict. The gripping end of the knobkerrie, umxolo, was 

 often notched in a line lozenge pattern, so as to give a good hold. 



Among the knob-kerries were the i-bungusa or i-gqudu, a 

 kerrie w'ith a large head and short handle for. throwing at foes 

 or game ; the i-gqeba, a kerrie for cracking skulls ; the iii-jikijane, 

 a kerrie designed to pierce the skull when thrown. The isa- 

 gweba, lit. the settler of disputes, was a short fighting stick, with 

 or without a knob. 



Beautiful walking-sticks, um-simclelo, were made out of 

 Kafifir ironwood, um-simbiti, of which the heart-wood is dark 

 red, turnng to a glossy black. These were usually decorated 

 with ornamental patterns, notches, grooves, rings, spirals, or with 

 carvings of animals, such as snakes, lizards, baboons, human 

 heads, etc. 



Dancing sticks were decorated by being covered up with 

 beadwork in a variety of patterns and colours. 



The bow, isa-peta, and arrow, ii-tolo, were well-known from 

 conflict with the Bushmen, hut seem among the Xosas to have 

 been used only by children. Boys fitted their arrows with a tip, 

 i-gczi'ilika, of barbed ironwood or sneezewood, or of metal. They 

 used them mainly for shooting mice. The sling, isi-saulo, seems 

 also to have been a boys' toy rather than a serious weapon. A 

 stripped maize-cob, urn- pa, or a piece of clay, was fastened 

 lightly to an elastic switch, in-kunishi, and hurled at birds, etc. 



Other vegetable substances used were gourds, reeds, rushes, 

 grass^ and vegetable cables or lianes. 



The calabash-gourd, uscli^'a^ with its long neck, was gathered 

 when quite ripe, and was then sunk, nykva, in the ground for a 

 time, with only the neck sticking out, by which means the rind 

 v.^as hardened, while the contents decayed so that they could 

 be emptied out. The inside was thoroughly cleaned out by 

 rinsing it with water and gravel. It was then fit for use as a 

 milk container, i-selzva. The calabash was often tied round. 

 Ixindela, with string or a thong to strengthen it. A mealie-cob, 

 um-pa, served as cork. A half calabash served well as a spoon 

 or as a ladle, um-cepe. 



Bands for thatching, ing-ximba, were made by twisting" 

 grass or the stems of various species of wild vine or monkey- 

 rope, um-nxeba, and other creepers. The fibres of the boterbloem. 

 iint-kwinfi (Garjania pinuata), extracted by rubbing the leaves 

 along the leg; the fibres of the finer inner bast, i-twebu, of a kind 

 of fig, iilu-ci, which was stripped, Hvebiila, off the tree, and 

 various kinds of grass, um-singizane, um-tala. i-xonye, in-zica. 

 were twisted or sptm. sonta, into thread, mn-sonto, or ropes, int- 

 sontclo. The use of bast for making clothes, so common in 

 Central Africa, does not seem to have obtained among the 

 Xosas. where skins and hides were so easily obtained. 



Weaving among the Kafirs was essentially plaiting, ukn- 



