230 



a vulture (?) or the Spoonbill Goose, being pointed at one end,, 

 blunt at the other, and about six inches long. Besides the above 

 they wear tufts of white feathers attached to the upper arm. 

 The principal adornment, however, consists in the uJhelalama, i.e., 

 the painting of the body with yellow, red, and white clay, ochre, 

 &c., into various patterns. They have, however, certain rules 

 and a certain order for this, to which they adhere. The usual 

 decoration consists — besides the ornaments mentioned above — of 

 a semicircular red or white streak above the nose and on the 

 cheeks, the convexity upwards ; red or white dots on the fore- 

 head ; and several elongated curved red streaks on the chest and 

 abdomen, which gradually lengthen, so that one ring-segment 

 overlaps and encloses the other. 



A messenger, however, wears red strings in his hair ; four tufts 

 formed of finely-split and scraped sticks some five to seven inches 

 long, fixed upon the head, and called liJinha: a thick black dot 

 or broad streak painted on the forehead ; and a semi-circular one 

 of red paint over the nose. Besides the concentric oval red 

 streaks on the chest and al^domen mentioned above, two red and 

 black ones of semicircular form, and turned upwards, are placed 

 above the former. On both sides elongated red streaks are made, 

 which look like bundles of sticks. Upon the back the messenger 

 has a sort of red disk, formed of concentric rings, with four half- 

 round disks, also consisting of concentric curves. Other figures 

 are painted for their tjiirunga, corroborees, of which more will 

 be said hereafter. 



/. HABITATIONS. 



The natives do not expend much labor upon their dwellings. 

 In half an hour they can erect a shelter. They gather bushes or 

 branches, which they stick into the ground in a circle of five tO' 

 seven feet in diameter, the largest first, with the tops touching ; 

 the gaps are then filled up with smaller branches, and the dwell- 

 ing is finished, an entrance being left on one side. If rain 

 threatens, grass or anything they can get hold of is heaped upon 

 the " wurley," making it look like a rubbish-heap. Inside the 

 ground is loosened, and the earth pushed against the walls, so 

 that the floor resembles a shallow bowl. The locality for a settle- 

 ment is usually decided by the elders. They are not at all par- 

 ticular, building in river-beds, on elevations, &c., the principal 

 consideration being the proximity of water, and that the soil be 

 not too hard. Each one erects his hut wherever it suits him. 

 This work is chiefly done by the women. Separate places are as- 

 signed for the unmarried men and for the single females respec- 

 tively, the latter being called Jukara, and the former nkanja. If 

 a married couple cannot agree, one or the other of the couple 

 witlidraws to one of them. Sometimes it happens that the hus- 



