94 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



about 4 or 5 inches thick. The thick end is cut straight ; the 

 bundle is held vertically, with the thick end uppermost and is 

 thumped three or four times against the ground. One would 

 imagine this treatment would smash the thin ends of the (^rass 

 but it gives to the bundle the requisite flexibility to lie smoothly. 

 A wisp of the grass in each bundle is twisted, and used as 

 the rope by which the bundle is attached to the framework 

 of the roof. With his stick the thatcher thumps the thatch 

 into a smooth shape and sweeps off the loose grass. Wher- 

 ever he detects a hollow he lifts the thatch with his stick, and 

 inserts an additional bundle or two, which he does not even 

 take the trouble to tie down, and yet they last perfectly well 

 and do not slip out again. 



The women wear the bark-cloth wrapped round the body ; 

 they pass it under the armpits, and not over the shoulder. 

 Small children of both sexes go uncovered. Girls wear a 

 curious grass-ring round the waist. If the ring is too loose 

 and likely to slip off, it is upheld behind by a string from 

 the neck. 



The native chair or stool is cut out of a solid block of wood. 

 It consists of a basin-shaped seat, a wide base, and a short stem 

 connecting seat and base. In many huts a cradle-shaped trough 

 is seen, cut out of a solid block of wood ; this is used for 

 squashing up bananas in the preparation of the native brew. 



I have often heard it asserted that formerly a cow, a muzzle- 

 loader, and a woman, were considered equal in value, and could 

 be easily bartered or exchanged the one for the other. This 

 of course has been put a stop to. Polygamy was the rule in 

 Uganda, but when the Waganda became Christians, the men 

 put aside their plurality of wives and retained but one each. 

 The Protestant Prime Minister has only one wife now ; I was 

 told he had a couple of hundred before his conversion. I do 

 not know what became of the discarded wives, whether they 

 live as lonely widows, or whether they have in their turn 

 consoled themselves by taking some one else as husband. 



One of the useful local industries is mat-making, generally 

 done by women or girls, Thev use the leaves of the makindo 

 or wild date-palm. The mats are whitish-yellow, soft, clean, and 

 cool. Narrow strips, li to 2 inches broad, are first of all plaited ; 

 and the length and breadth of the mat depends on the length 

 and number of the plaited strips sewn together. The illus- 



