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ing as a cnp, and the upper as a cover. To prevent spitting, they 

 were neatly banded with cane plaited rings coloured with black 

 varnish, which gave them the appearance of being hooped with 

 japanned iron rings ; they contained about a quart each. After the 

 liquor had gone the second round, I commenced to distribute the 

 presents among the women and children, consisting of two and 

 four-anna bits (which are used as necklets), beads, needles, and 

 thread ; to the men I gave pieces of white and red cloth for head- 

 dresses. The Tswabwa was, of course, the first served, and received 

 a double share ; I had to be careful that no difference was made 

 in the description of presents, for fear of generating discontent ; 

 even as it was, some of the women came to have their necklets 

 exchanged, because, perhaps, the beads were differently shaped or 

 varied in colour from those presented to others. The younger 

 and unmarried portion of the female community (who are alone 

 distinguishable from the married by the absence of a turban, for 

 they are mostly all mothers), were most importunate in their 

 requests for more beads, and would give me no peace, until I satisfied 

 them that my stock was exhausted. It is a remarkable fact that the 

 children of unmarried girls are accepted as the gift of the " virgin's 

 guardian spirit, " and the fresh arrivals supported by the parents of 

 the young mother. With these tribes flirtation has no bounds up to 

 rnarriage ; but when once a woman has elected a husband, which is 

 always proclaimed at a large public feast, adultery, if committed 

 without the consent of that husband, is punishable by death. Liquor 

 was now again introduced, but as we had yet other calls to make, 

 I ordered my followers to abstain from drinking any more. As a 

 parting gift, the women presented me with a complete set of their 

 own ornaments, and three bamboo drinking cups ; and the men 

 gave me a cross-bow and poisoned arrows, but declined to divulge 

 the process of poisoning them. A similar programme was followed 

 at the different htaijs we visited ; each host and hostess trying to 

 excel the other in hospitality and liberality in presents. It is a 

 point of etiquette with these people on the occasion of the first visit 

 to leave the htaij by the door you entered at, and likewise quit the 

 village by the road you came. The last house we called at therefore 

 was the first we came to on our arrival, and will be remembered as the 

 residence of the old man who called on me last night. Evidently 

 the old fellow had been imbibing freely, for he was most loqua- 

 cious, and even went so far as to tap me on the back, and as a 

 particular mark of friendship, gave me a piece of a creeper that had 

 formed itself into a strange knot, and like the ring of Gyges was 

 supposed to confer invisibility and preserve me from all harm. 

 On parting, he cautioned me never to make friends with the 



