338 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



cooking utensils, the chief's favourite pipe, and some tobacco. A fire was kept burning beside 

 the body for some weeks, and a plate of food was provided daily. 



The marriage limitations of the Ashira are interesting. All unions between blood-relatives 

 are prohibited; but a man may marry all the wives of a deceased uncle or his step-mother. 



THE ISHOGO. 



The Ishogo are described by du Chaillu as a tribe of fine men, superior in physique to 

 the Ashira and in mental qualities to the Fans, whom they resemble in bodily structure. They 

 live in the French Congo, on the mountains around the upper part of the Retnbo River, south 

 of the Ogowe. They inhabit large villages of about 150 huts, arranged in well-planned streets. 

 The huts are large, and divided into several rooms; they are provided with low wooden doors, 

 painted with coloured designs. The dress is limited to a small petticoat o grass-cloth. The 

 body is coloured red with a powder obtained from a native wood, and is ornamented by 

 an elaborate series of scars; the main tribal mark appears to be a few pea-shaped scars 

 raised between the eyebrows and the cheeks. Formerly the practice of pulling out the two 

 middle upper incisors and filing the others to points was universally adopted. The most 

 remarkable personal adornments are the women's chignons, formed by plaiting the well-greased, 

 hair on to a cylindrical grass- work tower: the chignon is about 9 inches long, and rises from 

 the head either vertically or horizontally backward; the rest of the head is shaved. The 

 men have the hair worked into flat flaps hanging round the sides of the head, while the 

 crown is shaved. In both sexes the eyebrows and eyelashes are all removed. The chief metal 

 ornaments are neck-rings and armlets of brass and iron, while the women also wear long 

 strings of beads. The Ishogo are very peaceful, and usually go unarmed; the sword is their 

 chief weapon, but they have in addition spears, bows, and arrows. They are agriculturists, 

 and live mainly on plantains. Their chief industry is the weaving of palm fibres into 

 grass-cloth in primitive hand-looms and the plaiting of baskets. They grow tobacco, which is 

 smoked in pipes, and an intoxicating drink is made from palm sap. 





Photo by Mr. Ernest Gedge] 



TREATY-MAKING, KIK.UYU. 



\Ludtxrrvugh. 



