66 EASTERN ETHIOPIA v 



animal or vegetable which is the totem or sign of 

 that clan. For instance, the mud-fish (mamba) is the 

 sign of the Mamba clan, but no member of that clan 

 will eat, injure, or willingly destroy this fish. 



The Baganda make their own pottery. There are 

 several varieties of clay, red, kaolin or white, and 

 black. The blackness of the vessels made from black 

 clay is intensified by a glaze made from graphite which 

 occurs in Uganda. Some of the pottery is artistic, and 

 good examples of vases glazed with plumbago may be 

 seen in the British Museum. They also weave baskets 

 and mats, and are skilful in utilising the various long 

 grasses which grow in the marshes. The thatchers are 

 a separate guild. They are especially clever in covering 

 the outer walls of porches and the woodwork of veran- 

 dahs with the long polished stalks of elephant grass 

 packed closely together in an upright position and 

 bound with string. 



It is a remarkable fact that the Baganda, the foremost 

 negro race in Africa, have no knowledge of the plough, 

 the saw, sails, or of wheeled vehicles ; neither have they 

 done anything to tame or domesticate animals, but they 

 are fond of dogs. 



A curious kind of ant-eater known as the Man is is 

 found in Uganda. From head to tail it is covered with 

 scales, so that this animal has the appearance of a huge 

 fir-cone, and like a hedge-hog it can roll itself up like a 

 ball and expose a hard smooth surface to its enemies. 

 It is said that the Man is can contract its scales on its 

 body, so that if a monkey's finger or a dog's nose 

 is placed beneath a scale either would be badly nipped. 

 This animal lives entirely on ants and termites : it has 

 a tubular mouth, a long tongue, and no teeth. The 

 walls of the stomach are much thickened, arid like birds 

 it swallows small pebbles to assist in grinding its food. 

 The Manis lives on trees ; sometimes when climbing a 

 tree it may descry an enemy, it will then fling its body 

 backwards and remain immobile, with its tail firmly 



