THE LATUKA. 237 



measurements), they have beautiful large eyes, a high forehead, 

 well-formed mouth, and good, well-set teeth, although they 

 too extract the lower incisors. The face is oblong, the nose 

 aquiline, the chin not protruded. Six skulls gave the follow- 

 ing measurements : — From the tip of the nose to the occipital 

 protuberance, 1 1.93 in. ; from one external meatus to the other, 

 across the head, 10.78 in. (average). Moderately small ears, 

 large hands, and rather large flat feet complete the portrait of 

 a Latiika man. The women do not appear to such advantage. 

 They are rather too corpulent, and absolutely ugly. 



On our arrival near Tarangole the porters' wives came more 

 than half an hour's walk to meet their husbands. These women 

 are fruitful, as the majority of them have three or four children, 

 and families of five or six are not infrequent. Nine is said to 

 be the highest number borne by one woman. Twins are rare, 

 and are believed to bring misfortune to the father. Should 

 he go buffalo -hunting after their birth, it is considered certain 

 that he would be wounded or killed, and if he wounded an 

 antelope, it would be sure to escape him. Men, therefore, who 

 are under this ban do not leave the village until another woman 

 has borne twins, or his own wife another child, in which case 

 the spell is broken. The twins themselves, who, as among 

 other Negro races, receive no proper name — a custom adopted 

 from the Sudan Arabs — are brought up with the other chil- 

 dren, and suffer no reproach. 



The tribal marks in this district, besides the extraction of 

 the lower incisors, are four incisions radiating over the temple 

 from the corner of the eye, which are met by four others 

 coming from above. Five more incisions are made upon the 

 forehead, two on either side and one in the middle, all radiat- 

 ing from the root of the nose. The three spears and the 

 helmet are also characteristic of the Latiika ; bows and arrows 

 are not used. Both sexes greet one another throughout the 

 whole day with the word Toggolo, the answer being Khummo. 

 Music and dancing are much enjoyed, and practised on every 

 possible occasion. Hunting, however, is the pride of the 

 Latiika ; they are passionately fond of it, and will attack a 

 buffalo with a spear, or receive a springing leopard upon their 

 shields. It is only to be expected that such bravery is re- 



