SMOKING, FOOD. AND THE -LENT RAT" 219 



of snuff as his palate and stomach are l:o strongly 

 spiced foods and potent drinks. 



Another Angolan habit is the smoking of wild 

 hemp (Cannabis sativa), called " diamba," which 

 is taken in the same way as a native of India 

 smokes tobacco, in a hookah ; a gourd full of 

 water being placed between the pipeful of hemp 

 and mouth of the smoker. The smoke, even thus 

 cleaned, is so strong as to cause every one who 

 has inhaled a few puffs to cough violently and 

 pass on the pipe. The men say that this smoking 

 of hemp makes them feel warm in the early 

 morning, and one cannot but sympathize with 

 !he poor natives who come out of their huts on 

 a winter dawn in the Angolan highlands, almost 

 naked, and shivering in the sharp morning air ; 

 holding their hands on their shoulders or bringing 

 their elbows together and placing their hands on 

 each side of the head, which is bent clown into 

 the chest- their way of showing how cold they feel. 



The food of the Angolan natives is dealt with 

 in the chapter on produce as v-ell as in other 

 portions of this book, and only a very brief s m- 

 mary is given here. The mandioe root in various 

 preparations such as fuba (flour), infimdi, " ! "d 

 pirao (porridge), and various Forms of c r >kes, is 

 possibly the commonest food-stuff in the country, 

 but maize and millet are also largely used, as are 

 yams, ground-nuts, pumpkins, and such fruits 

 as bananas and paw-paws. Meat and i\:-l\ are 

 eaten by all natives, except thoso prohibited 

 meats which arc taboo to the individual. Beef 

 and milk are rarely used as food- and butter is 



