THE TUBUm LAKES 89 



The men take great trouble about their personal 

 appearance, and, where metal or beads fail, cord and 

 even wood is pressed into the service for anklets, 

 bracelets, and necklets. 



The front teeth are filed, but this custom is dying 

 out, and is no longer practised by the youth of the 

 tribe. 



We bought a good many things from them, and in 

 return cloth was enthusiastically accepted. We won- 

 dered whether, like Adam, they had become conscious 

 of their nakedness, but the doubt was soon removed, 

 for instead of using it for clothing they spread it over 

 the roofs of their houses to make them fine. 



Old bottles and tins w^ere valued, and here again 

 they were put to unexpected uses. One man, for 

 instance, tore the inner sheeting out of a tin of 

 digestive biscuits and fastened it to his hair, where 

 it glistened and flashed gaudily in the brilliant sun- 

 shine, giving great satisfaction to himself and his 

 comrades. 



Salt was, however, the thing they coveted of all 

 others ; but we had not got an unlimited store out 

 of which to supply their wants, and as our last tin 

 was already broken into, Mrs Talbot and I begged 

 that no more should be given. Our wish was dis- 

 regarded, for Mr Talbot's scientific mind was imbued 

 with an overmastering desire to measure the Wadama 

 for the Anthropological Society, of which he is a 

 fellow. They, however, looked upon the proceeding 

 with suspicion ; and when the little instrument was 

 produced to measure the nose, chin, forehead, ears, 

 and every other facial member, they simply ran 

 away. Then Mr Talbot pointed out to us that his 



