Chap. XIIT. HUTS OF THE ISHOGOS. 265 



of the Lark of trees, had their doors painted red, 

 white, and hhick, in comphcated and sometimes not 

 inelegant patterns. These doors were very inge- 

 niously made ; they turned upon pivots ahove and 

 below, which worked in the frame instead of hinges. 

 Each house is of an oblong shape, about twenty-two 

 feet long by ten or twelve feet broad ; the door being 

 in the middle of the front, three and a half feet high' 

 and two and a half feet broad. The walls are four 

 and a half feet high and the highest part of tlie roof 

 is about nine feet. 



I could not sleep last night on account of the noise 

 made by these Ishogos. They sang their mbuiti 

 songs until daylight, marching from one end of the 

 villae:e to the other, "When at a distance their 

 singing did not sound unpleasant, but when close by 

 it was almost deafening. During the day I made 

 friends with the Ishogos, and gave them sundry 

 email presents. Many of the women came and gave 

 me bunches of plantains, sugar cane, and ground- 

 nuts, and seemed much pleased when I tasted them. 



In the evening the atmosphere was very clear, 

 and I was glad to be able to take some more meridian 

 altitudes and a good many lunar distances. 



By the time I had written down my joru'nal, and 

 recorded my astronomical observations, it was half- 

 past two in the morning, and, after a hard day's 

 work, I was glad to get to bed, especially as we had 

 to leave Igoumbie' early the next morning. 



June 12ih. We took leave of Igoumbie' a little 

 before eight a.m. The people seemed unwilling to 

 let us go, and the elders begged us to stay another 

 19 



