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BANTU NEGROES 



l»liotogra})li gives exain])les of I lima sja'ars mixed with a few of the 

 ruder weapons of the I'airo. The bow is about four feet long, with a 

 string made of the gut of eattle, antehjpes, or sheep. The arrows are 

 about eighteen inches h>ng, with barbed heads, but as a rule not poisoned. 

 The quiver in which the arrows are kept is sometimes a very artistic 



piece of workmanship. It is 

 made of hard white w^ood, like 

 a long tube with wooden caps 

 at each end, and is slung by 

 a string across the shoulders. 

 The white wood is burnt into 

 by red-hot irons, and in this 

 kind of pokerwork striking 

 designs of black cover the 

 white wood. Inside the quiver 

 a fire-stick is usually kept, 

 as well as a selection of 

 arrows. 



The shield of Ankole proper 

 and some of the surrounding 

 countries is small, very convex, 

 made of tiglit basketwork, and 

 with a large central boss of 

 wood, or in some cases of iron. 

 Along the eastern coast-lands 

 of Lake Albert Edward tlie 

 shield, ])resuniably of the Bairo, 

 is larger, not quite so convex, 

 and is made of hippopotamus 

 liide. Both shields are oval in 

 sha])e. 



As regards implements 

 rather than weapons, the Eahima 

 use a small sickle (illustrated 

 in the photograph of weapons) 

 and a liroad knife-blade fitted 

 on to the end of a long [)ole with wliich they can chop at the 

 blanches of trees. As they never by any chance till the ground, they 

 have no hoes or agricultural implements. Occasionally long knives are 

 carried in rather pretty basketwork sheathes. In many of the Hima 

 villages of Ankole there are smithies, generally separated from the rest of 

 the villatje ])V a low fence. Ironstone contaiuiuLT ii'on ore is broken into 



350. JII.MA U'LIVKK AMI AKKOW; 



