52 



the right shoulder the iron head of a spear ; and in general, we may 

 trace by the colour of the earth the decayed wood of the shaft until 

 near the foot of the skeleton lies the iron-spiked ferule which terminated 

 it at the other end. We sometimes meet with one or more smaller 

 heads of javelins or arrows. Closer to the side of the skeleton lies 

 usually a long iron broadsword, not much unlike the claymore of the 

 Scottish Highlanders, of which it is probably the prototype." The 

 very weapons of warfare that are used in the present day by the 

 Filatahs of Central Africa — the spear with its iron-spiked ferule, the 

 javelins and arrows of different patterns, and the double-edged Houssa 

 sword, manufactured by themselves, even amongst nations that never, 

 until our recent visit, looked on the face of an European, and could 

 not have received instructions in armoury fabrications from any so- 

 called civilized country. I brought specimens of each of these home 

 with me, and presented them to Sir William Hooker for preservation 

 in the museum at the Koyal Botanic gardens of Kew. 



Mr. Wright goes on : — -" Another article peculiarly characteristic of 

 the Sa-Yon interments is the knife, the length of which is generally 

 about five or six inches, although at times it extends from ten to eleven 

 inches, and, from its shape, it must have been a very formidable weapon, 

 independent of its utility for other purposes." 



The Filatahs have two-edged knives of various lengths, used as 

 weapons of self-defence as well as for useful cutting instruments. Some 

 are carried openly in their hands ; some protected by a sheath which 

 passes under the left arm, and is fastened to the hand by a cinc- 

 ture of strong leather that envelopes the wrist. Besides these, they 

 manufacture out of metals — razors, ink-bottles of brass, hair-pins for 

 ladies out of the same material, rings for the fingers of copper, iron 

 shovels for agriculture, spears for fishing, and armlets (brass and lead) 

 for the exquisite cf both sexes. 



" It may be observed also," continues Mr. Wright, " that we some- 

 times find a string of beads round the neck of a man, and other cir- 

 cumstances show that there were Saxon exquisites who were v£(in 

 enough of their personal adornments." At the Filatah city of Zhibu, 

 seeing a number of young men decked out with beads and brass 

 ornaments, plaited hair and rasped teeth, I enquired of one of our 

 interpreters who these men were, when a Kruman sidled up to me, and 

 with a knowing leer, such as only can be assumed by men of his nation, 

 explained in this didactic manner : — " Dem be men, Sir, dat come up 

 throng (strong) for dandy side ! " 



Articles of pottery are also made up the Niger, Tshadda, and 



