116 ASHIRA-LAND. Chap. VI. 



up and be off at once. Meantime I occupied myself 

 in practising in photography, taking astronomical 

 observations, and adding greatly to my collections in 

 Natural History. By a numerous series of observa- 

 tions which I took here, the latitude of Olenda has 

 been found to be 1° 44' 22" S., the longitude 

 10° 30' 34", and the altitude above the sea-level 

 526 feet. 

 I A few rambles about the Ashira prairie showed 

 \ me that the population had much diminished, since 

 ■ my visit six years previously. Many of the villages 

 which then studded its grassy slopes and hollows had 

 disappeared. It is true that some of the head men had 

 removed their people to new villages in the woods, 

 which surround the prairie ; nevertheless, I believe 

 the total number of the people had been much 

 reduced. The tribe was once superior to all their 

 neighbours in industry and cleanliness, and in the 

 quality of their clothing and ornaments. A deteri- 

 oration was now plainly visible. The well-woven 

 . dengui which the people used to wear had almost 

 \ disappeared, and in its stead I saw only garments of 

 ■thin, dirty, cotton cloth. A few of the older women 

 lalone were decorated with copper rings round the 

 neck. The young people had also abandoned the 

 practice of filing their front teeth, and I noticed a 

 total change of fashion in the dressing of their hair, 

 I increasing commerce with the Rembo having had the 

 f result of their adopting Commi fashions. The tribe 

 have now constant intercourse with the Commi, and 

 of late years the warlike Bakalai have married many 

 of their women and of course taken them away. 



