38 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANATOMICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL 



Weapons. In the Inhambane and Mtyopi districts nearly all 

 adults have large bows and arrows, while the children have smaller 

 specimens. The bow is made of wood, the string of hide, and the 

 shaft of the arrow of bamboo or light wood tipped with feathers. The 

 head of the arrow is made of steel and is usually three or four inches 

 long and sharp pointed. The Mtyopis, even nowadays, sometimes 

 poison their arrows. They also use a pick like a battle-axe, assegais, 

 knob-kerries, and the usual variety of sticks. They possess a certain 

 number of trade-guns, which are dangerous at least to their owners. 

 The barrels are used for the manufacture of spirit, which probably 

 does not improve them (Plate VI., Fig. 3). 



Boats. They have two kinds of boats. The first is the ordinary 

 dug-out canoe Uukumbe which appears to be common in tropical 

 South Africa. It is hollowed out from the trunk of a tree, holds ten 

 people, draws very little water (not more than five or six inches), and 

 is punted by means of a pole worked at the stern. The second is the 

 Amatwabele, made from the bark of a tree. The bark is peeled off 

 the tree for about five feet, the ends are curled up and pegged by a 

 piece of stick driven through them. The centre of the canoe is 

 supported by four sticks driven through the sides, and these serve as 

 seats. Canoes so formed are exceedingly primitive looking, but do 

 not easily upset and can be paddled at a considerable rate (Plate VI., 

 Fig. 4). ' 



Ornaments. Wire bangles are very common, especially among 

 the women, who sometimes wear several pounds' weight on each 

 ankle or wrist. Occasionally they are made of ivory, but more 

 usually of solid brass, which must be very heavy and uncomfortable. 

 However in a free fight the lady decorated with several pounds of 

 brass on her wrists has a distinct advantage. Sometimes one 

 notices on the men's heads the dried gall-bladder of a goat or sheep. 

 It is worn as a sign that on his return from a journey his brothers 

 killed a sheep or goat for him, and is evidence that he is considered 

 a man worthy of distinction. They have necklaces made of every 

 variety of article strung together, the scalps and bills of small birds 



