309 



JOURNAL OF CONCHOLOGY. 



Vol. i6. OCTOBER, 1922. No. lo. 



SOME USES OF SHELLS IN THE BELGIAN CONGO. 



By F. M. dyke, B.Sc. 



(Read before the Society, May 6th, 1922). 



During a recent visit to the Congo I made the following notes on 

 tlie use of shells by the natives : — 



1. OlivellamuticaSay. — This West Indian species together with 

 others was formerly imported in large quantities by traders, and like 

 the cowry was commonly used as money, but since the Belgians took 

 over the country and made barter illegal, one finds them used only 

 as ornaments. This particular Olivella is locally known (in the 

 Kwango district) as " Zimbu " and some hundreds will be attached to 

 a baby's " wool " by inserting a wisp of hair in the mouth of the shell 

 and fixing it with a daub of clay. 



2. Cyprsea moneta L. — Ground fiat on the dorsal side is largely 

 used for the popular gambling game of "Jiggi," which, with many 

 variations, is played as follows : — A native places a coin on a grass 

 mat. His left hand neighbour then throws the set of four cut cowries 

 when, if they turn up " 2 and 2 " {i.e. two " cut " faces and two 

 " teeth ") the thrower takes the stake and restarts the game by making 

 his gamble for his left hand neighbour's throw. If he loses his first 

 throw he places in the pool a sum equal to the first player, and hands 

 the shells to his left hand man. Thus each throws and gambles in 

 turn round the circle and the first to throw " 2 and 2 " (or other 

 nominated combination) takes the pool. The Congo native works 

 his hardest at this game, and once well started will stake all he has, 

 and has been known even to bet himself into slavery. 



3. Achatina. — As is well known these large, handsome shells are 

 much used for decorative, domestic and talismanic purposes, but at 

 Banga — a village on the left bank of the Congo opposite the mission 

 of Yalemba, near Basoko — large species are put to what appears to be 

 a novel use. The central spire is largely hollowed out, a stick 

 inserted and suspended from a light rod which in its turn is connected 

 by a string to the native canoes ("pirogues"). This arrangement 

 acts as a signal in the event of a canoe breaking adrift when the 

 rattling of the shells makes quite a good warning. 



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