SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OP ABERDEEN. 41 



Danciwj. Here again the Mtyopi is more advanced than the 

 Myambaam or the Shangaan. The natives of the district, having 

 been informed that there is to be a dance at a certain kraal, assemble 

 and in some instances travel twenty or thirty miles on foot to attend. 

 When approaching the scene of the festivities, they blow a horn to 

 announce their approach, and a small band of three or four drums is 

 sent out to play them into the village. When it is thought that most 

 of the people have arrived, a somewhat more elaborate band plays 

 round the village, in much the same way that is done at a circus, to 

 warn the people that the dance is about to begin. In the dance seen, 

 the large band of pianos with drums, etc., had already been placed in 

 position, and in front of the instruments the dancers arranged them- 

 selves in rows, as if for a war-dance. Altogether there were about six 

 hundred dancers, consisting of adults and children. The adults were 

 in the front row, and they wore ostrich feather headgear, and had 

 ox-tails ornamenting their knees, and were armed with shields and 

 battleaxes. In the space between the band and the dancers were a 

 few women, and a man dressed up as a woman, who acted as a 

 buffoon. When the band commenced to play, the performers sang, 

 dancing at the same time. They appeared to act a complete scene, 

 dancing with tremendous energy, and evidently prepared to go on for 

 an indefinite period. At one time, one could see they were pretending 

 to kill imaginary foes ; at other times retreating or defending them- 

 selves ; finally they stood to the salute. Occasionally a dancer rolled 

 in the sand from exhaustion. While the men were dancing in this 

 way, the few women referred to before danced in their own manner, 

 though they appeared to be taking some part in the scene which was 

 being acted. After this dance had gone on some time, another was 

 started in which unmarried girls and married women took a leading 

 part. The former borrowed the men's ostrich head-dresses. The 

 girls and women took it in turns to dance, while the men looked on 

 and sang. Following the two big dances, a number of small ones 

 were commenced, as side shows, in which women were the only 

 performers. They were accompanied either by a couple of Kaffir 



