XIV.] NATIVE DRESS AND ORNAMENTS. 175 



who acted as agents for large merchants, besides blacksmiths, February, 

 carpenters, and sandal-makers. 1874- 



The natives are rather a fine-looking race, but have the repu- 

 tation of being a very drunken and thieving lot ; yet I scarcely 

 think they are as bad in either respect as the lower orders of 

 the coast natives. They are good smiths and porters, and ex- 

 pert fishermen and canoe-men. 



Their dress usually consists of a single piece of bark-cloth, 

 with two corners tied in a knot over one shoulder and passing 

 under the opposite armpit. It is often dyed in strij)es and 

 spots of black and yellow, and cut to imitate the shape of a 

 leopard's skin. It leaves one side of the body perfectly naked, 

 and in a breeze flaps about in such a manner that it barely sat- 

 isfies the commonest recpiirements of decency. 



Their special ornaments are made of beautifully white and 

 wonderfully polished hippopotamus ivory. In shape and size 

 they represent the blade of a sickle, and are worn hung round 

 the neck. They also wear a profusion of sambo, small bells, 

 and wire bracelets. The men usually carry a spear. 



Their hair is clipped and shaved into most peculiar patterns, 

 such as spirals, zigzags, tufts left on a bare scalp, or round 

 patches shaven in the centre of the crown of the head, and, in 

 short, every conceivable vagary in shaving in fancy devices. 



The chiefs among them may be distinguished by their wear- 

 ing colored trade-cloths, after the same fashion as their poorer 

 countrymen wear their bark-cloth, and by having heavy pen- 

 annular bracelets, with a projection at the back. 



The head chief, or mteme, of Ujiji lives in a village in the 

 mountains some distance from ^le lake ; bnt every small dis- 

 trict is ruled over by a nnitwale, or head-man, whose office is 

 often hereditary, assisted by three or four wateko, or elders. 

 These people arrange disputes, collect all tributes, and remit 

 the proceeds to the mteme after deducting a certain amount 

 for their trouble. 



One of the sights at Kawele is the market, held daily between 

 half -past seven and ten in the morning, and again in the after- 

 noon, in an open space in the town close to the shore. The 

 more important is that in the morning, which presents an in- 

 teresting and lively scene. It is attended by the jjeople of 



