NILOTIC NEGROES 



777 



stockade, and then pass their spears repeatedly backwards and forwards 

 through the water, and in this way they slay large numbers of a 

 mud-loving Chromis. The other Nile peoples hunt with dogs, and attack 

 the game with spears. The Acholi surround large areas with a succession 

 of nets, each about twenty yards Long. When rather more than a semi- 

 circle has thus been netted in. a number of spearmen squat down along 

 the outer side of the nets while others rush into the enclosure, set fire 

 to the herbage, and drive the game before them against the nets, where 

 numbers of beasts are speared by the men awaiting their arrival on the 

 other side of the net. 



Not many of these Nile tribes keep fowls. All of them keep goats, 

 sheep, and cattle, the cattle being invariably of the humped zebu type. 

 Not a few of these cattle from the Lango and Acholi countries have the 

 horns curiously crossed at their points. All these Nile tribes mix cow's 

 urine with the milk when drinking the latter. They also make butter 

 from milk, but use it chiefly as an ointment. 



In warfare the Acholi use spears with a short, narrow blade, and 

 long, narrow shields made of giraffe, ox, or rhinoceros hide." The four 

 projecting corners of the shield are finished with small and elegant 

 knobs. The strong stick which is fastened up and down along the inner 

 middle of the leather shields 

 projects at both ends. At the 

 top of the shield the projecting 

 portion is decorated with a large 

 pompon of black ostrich feathers. 

 The outer surface of the shield 

 is ornamented at regular in- 

 tervals with handsome little brass 

 knobs. Among the Lango. in 

 place of these brass knobs, there 

 are generally thin bands of iron. 

 The Alum, who dwell to the 

 north-west of Lake Albert, have 

 no spears, but fight with bows 

 and arrows. The Bari and 

 Latuka use spears only. The 

 Lango and Umiro confine them- 

 selves chiefly to assegais, or 

 throwing-spears. None of these 

 people have swords like the 



* In shape like those of the 

 Turkana. See Fig. 475. 4 2 4- Sudanese selling fried termites (white ants) 



