HANDSOME NATIVES OF KERE. 307 
just as we came to the first village, down dropped these 
worthy old men on their knees to hold another conference. 
Three times we started, moved a hundred yards or so, 
and then sat down again. At nine o'clock we finally bade 
good-by to the chiefs and got under way. We did not 
follow the river at first, but kept to a trail through the 
bushes for the first three miles. 
“ After this the road was more open, and we passed many 
little clumps of houses surrounded by durrha fields. I had 
an opportunity of see- 
ing many of the Kére 
women. They are not 
as good looking as the 
men, but many of the 
young girls had grace- 
ful figures and attrac- 
tive features. They 
wore a short leather 
skirt, with occasionally 
a bib attached, and 
were not disfigured in 
any way excepting by 
a few necklaces of 
beads, and brass bands KERE PILLOW AND BELLS FOR ANKLES. 
around their arms. 
Their hair fell naturally down their backs, and was kept in 
place by little bands of leather that encircled their heads. 
Some of the Kére men twist their hair around a stick, that 
points directly upward, or else forward over their brows. 
Others mix their hair with clay, and form it into a hard 
cake in the shape of a cap; and into this mass is stuck 
feathers, long reeds, or anything that comes to hand. I 
was surprised to find some of them wearing zinc disks sus- 
pended from their ears like the Dume. All of the Kére 
