Chap. XVI. MEASUREMENT OF OBONGOS. 319 



we had seen the women enter the huts. I therefore 

 went to the hnt of my old friend, Misounda, took off 

 the branch, and called her by name, but there was 

 no answer. It was so dark inside that I could see 

 nothing ; so I entered, and tumbled over the old 

 woman. Finding that she was detected, she came 

 out, and pretended that she had been fast asleep. 

 Then she called out the other women, saying that I 

 was not a leopard come to eat them, and that they 

 need not be afraid. 



In the course of other visits which I made to the 

 village during my stay at Niembouai, I succeeded in 

 measuring five other women. I could not help laugh- 

 ing, for all of them covered their faces with their 

 hands ; and it was only in the case of Woman No. 1 

 that I could get any measurements of the face. Un- 

 fortunately I could not take the same measurements 

 for all. I did the best I could under such circum- 

 stances. In order to allay their fears, I tried to 

 measure one of my Ashango guides, but he refused, 

 being as much frightened as the women. The mea- 

 surements are as follows : — 



Ft. In. 



Woman No. 1, total height 4 4j 



, , betv/een the outer angles of the eyes 5 J 



, , No. 2, total height 4 71 



, , No. 3, considered unusually tall . . . . 5 0} 



, , round the broadest part of the head 1 9 J 



, , from the eye to the ear 4 



, , No. 4, total height . . . . 4 8 



, , round the head 1 10 



, , from the eye to the ear 3f 



, , No. 5, total height 5 



, , round the head 1 9 



, , from the eye to the ear 4f 



, , No. 6, total height 4 5 



, , round the head 1 lOi 



, , from the eye to the ear 4^ 



Youn^ man, total height 4 6 



