STRANGE CUSTOMS OF SAVAGE RULERS. 269 



should there not be a bit of meat in the larder, they send out to a 

 neighbor for "lent rat," as it is called. This Mr. Monteiro describes 

 as a field rat roasted on a skewer, and which is presented to the 

 guest, who, holding the skewer in his left hand, dabs bits of 

 ''infundi" on the rat before he swallows them, as if to give them a 

 flavor, but he is very careful not to eat the rat, or even the smallest 

 portion of it, as that would be considered a great crime and ofifense, 

 and would be severely punished by their laws. 



It is supposed that the host has by this hospitality duly pre- 

 served the dignity of his house and position, the entire sham being a 

 curious instance of elaborate politeness without sincerity existing 

 among a race which might reasonably be supposed unsophisticated. 



SINGULAR SALUTATIONS. 



The subject of salutations would afford a theme for many 

 chapters. For example, when two Monbuttoos of the far Nile 

 tributaries meet they join the right hands, and say, "Gassigy," at 

 the same time cracking the joints of the middle fingers, while in 

 Uguha, on the western side of Lake Tanganyika, Mr. Stanley 

 describes the people saluting each other as follows : 



A man appears before a party seated; he bends, takes up a 

 bundle of earth or sand with his right hand, and throws a little into 

 his left. The left hand rubs the sand or earth over the right elbow 

 and the right side of the stomach, while the right hand performs the 

 same operation for the left part of the body, words of salutation 

 being rapidly uttered in the meanwhile. To his inferiors, however, 

 the new-comer slaps his hand several times, and after each slap 

 lightly taps the region of the heart. 



In like manner, the modes of taking an oath are so very exten- 

 sive that a large space could very profitably be devoted to this inter- 

 esting phase of African life. In many tribes on the West Coast 

 the common way among blacks to affirm the truth of a statement is, 

 according to Monteiro, to go on their knees, and rub the forefinger 

 of each hand on the ground, and then touch their tongues and fore- 

 heads with the dusty tips. About Loanda, they make the sign of 



H. B. G.— 19 



