BANTU NEGROES 647 



Niger, the average negro generally resorts to the open ground in the 

 vicinity of the village or the adjoining forest for defecation, with the result 

 that the surroundings of every native village become indescribably filthy and 

 evil-smelling. In Uganda, on the other hand, every one, from the peasant 

 to the chief, will take care to have a privy built in a yard behind his 

 house. This will be surrounded by a fence, and from time to time the 

 pit dug is filled up, and a fresh one excavated at a little distance. The 

 influence of the missionaries in promoting morality, of the missionary and 

 Government doctors in teaching the people the cure and avoidance of 

 disease, the improved food-stuffs which European civilisation will introduce 

 and cause to flourish in the country, the instruction from English 

 missionary women and French "sisters" as to the proper care to be 

 bestowed on young children : all these means of grace may. it is hoped, 

 prevail in arresting the downward progress of a nation which is in many 

 respects the most interesting in Xegro Africa— a people so naturally polite 

 and artistic that they may in time justify the title which the author of 

 this book has several times applied to them — "the Japanese of Central 

 Africa." 



It has been already mentioned that the Eaganda leave their bodies 

 alone as nature made them, neither practising circumcision nor any methods 

 of cicatrisation, tattooing, ear-piercing, knocking out of teeth, or other 

 mutilations. Neither do they fuss much about their hair. This is very 

 abundant in growth, but they generally cut it short. There are certain 

 occasions, however, on which the hair is allowed to grow. A widow is 

 expected to leave her hair at least two months uncut after the death of 

 her husband. She may even let the growth of the hair extend uninter- 

 ruptedly for five or six months, if she wishes to show that her sorrow is 

 intense. It is sometimes noticed that there is a circular bare patch on a 

 man's head where the hair has been shaved, almost like a tonsure. The 

 explanation of this is that tin- tonsured individual is subject to fever or 

 has frequent headaches. He therefore keeps a portion of his head shaved, 

 so that it may be readily scarified and cupped. Both men and women wear 

 iron bracelets, or occasionally bracelets of copper and ivory. Small pieces 

 of hard wood or of iron may be threaded and worn as a necklace, and there 

 are, of course, numerous strings of little beads worn in some way round 

 the neck, wrists, and haunches. Rings of iron, copper, or brass are worn 

 on the fingers ; but the Eaganda are not. as a rule, as much given to all 

 these adornments as other Negro races. 



From time immemorial their men have had a most scrupulous regard 



for decency. Indeed, the Eaganda used to be squeamish on this score, 



and in the time of Mutesa a heavy fine was inflicted on courtiers who 



exposed their legs to view when in the king's presence. Women were less 



VOL. II. 12 



