WICHWEZI WITCHES. 285 



with Kabrega's men at Khor Kafu were also illustrated in the 

 dances. The orgy lasted till three o'clock in the morning, and 

 every one was stirring again at five o'clock. 



The most striking figures among the crowds of people loiter- 

 ing about here were the Wichwezi sorceresses, a large number 

 of whom are found at the court of every Wawitu prince. 

 Clothed in bark cloths, yellowish brown or dyed black — one 

 wore even the handsome intone, a fine bark cloth with black 

 patterns — so that the whole body is covered, they also not 

 infrequently wear skins of goats or sheep, and occasionally 

 cheetah or otter (Lutra sp., Nyonge) skins, and adorn or dis- 

 figure their heads with objects of every conceivable description. 

 These ladies are certainly not beautiful, and they would hardly 

 be eligible for vestal virgins, but they are feared, and therefore 

 venture to take many liberties. As is always the case where 

 professional interests are concerned, they vie with one another 

 in eccentricities. One at Rionga's court grunted every minute ; 

 at Anfina's, one of them spoke in the highest falsetto, while 

 another sat down beside one of the company, and wanted her 

 shoulders rubbed and her head bent. But there was a man 

 who surpassed them all ; he was apparently quite deaf, and 

 chattered about all sorts of stupid things, giving no answers 

 to questions, but leaving off as soon as any one whistled. 



Panyatoli (Anfina's village) lies in a well-wooded country, 

 but the forest trees have been removed to make room for fig- 

 trees used in the manufacture of cloths. The cloths I saw, 

 however, were all coarse, and by no means equal to the fine 

 pieces of Uganda and Karagwa, where they are imported from 

 Ruhanda. As regards cultivated plants, I only saw tobacco and 

 bananas, for the eleusine was gathered in, and the time for 

 sowing red durrah here had hardly come (November). Sesame, 

 which ripens all the year through, is found here and there. 

 Tobacco (Nicotiana mrginiana) might yield a good return under 

 proper treatment, but by careless drying, the leaves shrink 

 up so much, that the tobacco has an uninviting appearance. 

 The bananas are fairly good, and belong to the golden- skinned 

 variety called Nyamuiiya. Here, as in all parts of Unyoro, 

 the men only eat the bananas boiled before they are ripe, while 

 the women and children also eat them uncooked when ripe. 



