1242 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



times may also wear the bunch of leaves 

 at front of the girdle. This is a rare 

 privilege and has some religious signifi- 

 cance. 



To add further to their beauty, both 

 the upper and lov^er lips of these women 

 are pierced in order to admit a fiat, 

 round disk of wood called the tichiak, 

 which is usually about the size of a half 

 dollar. The effect of this custom is, 

 from an occidental point of view, singu- 

 larly distressing, for when viewed in 

 profile the lady presents an appearance 

 by no means unlike that of a pig. The 

 lips of the little girls are pierced when 

 they are about seven or eight years of 

 age, and a piece of wood is inserted and 

 worn for a time until a larger one takes 

 its place, the opening being thus grad- 

 ually enlarged until a full-sized tichiak 

 can be carried without discomfort. The 

 object of this singularly disfiguring 

 adornment is to prevent the women from 

 eating dogs, which are considered the 

 greatest delicacy by the men of the tribes. 



Both sexes decorate the body with 

 regular designs; the chests and backs of 

 the little girls are scarified at a very early 

 age, the incisions forming the design be- 

 ing painted with grease mixed with soot. 

 When they arrive at marriageable age, 

 the girls undergo a further ordeal, for 



two sets of parallel lines are cut both on 

 the chest and the back, and as soon as. 

 possible after marriage the head lines^ 

 are made. These consist of a number of 

 short cuts across the forehead, extending 

 from ear to ear, and 13 long, slanting- 

 lines are cut on each cheek from ear to^ 

 chin, so that probably no other woman, 

 in the world better exemplifies the old 

 French proverb, // faiit suffrir pour etre 

 belle. 



Not one of these ladies would dare: 

 attire herself in other than the prescribed 

 fashion, although no punishment would- 

 be inflicted save the general disapproval 

 of the community ; but that in savage- 

 countries is apt to assume very disagree- 

 able forms. 



The authority upon these people is. 

 Major A. J. N. Tremearne, upon whose 

 book, "The Tailed Head-Hunters of Ni- 

 geria" (J. B. Lippincott Co., Philadel- 

 phia), the above notes are based. Major 

 Tremearne has served in Nigeria both as. 

 a police and political officer, and has had. 

 singularly good opportunities of observ- 

 ing these primitive people, and as a 

 trained anthropologist his description of 

 their manners, habits, and customs is- 

 of great value. The volume has 355:, 

 pages, 38 photographic illustrations, and 

 a map. 



SUNRISE AND SUNSET FROM MOUNT SINAI 



By Rev. Sartell Prentice, Jr., D. D. 



WE SAW the sun rise from the 

 summit of Mount Sinai, a sight 

 few of us will ever forget." 

 Sinai ! What word has greater power 

 to awaken slumbering memories of the 

 past ! We, too, were going to Sinai, and 

 as Palmer's words recurred to us we de- 

 cided to camp one night upon the sum- 

 mit ; to watch the sun set and rise again. 

 Palmer has said of that early morning 

 glimpse of glory : "The effects were, if 

 possible, more beautiful than those of 

 sunset, and the few clouds that still lin- 

 gered around the peaks heightened and 

 concentrated the lovely coloring of blue 

 and gold and rosy light." 



Letters from our dragoman were elo- 

 quent with his dismay. No one had ever 

 before pitched tents upon the mountain; 

 there would surely be snow to hinder; 

 the monks would be certain to object; 

 in brief, it was not possible. Opposition 

 but fed the desire until it grew into an 

 obsession, and the sunrise from Mount 

 Sinai threatened to become the raison 

 d'etre of our pilgrimage. 



We reached the convent of St. Catha- 

 rine, at the foot of Sinai, on the 24th of 

 February, and pitched our tents among 

 the olive trees of the garden preparatory 

 to the climb next day. The almond, 

 peach, lemon, and orange trees were m 



