BANTU NEGROES 



627 



the smoke of tlie fire soon assume a glossy dark brown tint. Tho clay 

 covering of a chiefs house is sometimes extended under the verandah 

 into clay settles. The clay chosen is usually of a dark or bluish colour, 

 and is decorated by bold designs in white kaolin. These designs are 

 usually cut into the black mud and painted with the white clay. The 

 Hoor of the chiefs house is covered with clean grass. The bed is merelv 

 a raised block of hard mud, which is shut oft' frour the rest of the house 

 l\v a screen of reeds. A chiefs house is always placed inside a cattle 



34y. HI.MA AXIJ 1J:0 Sl'KAU.-, 



fence, and is generally surrounded in addition by a roughly buift enclosm-e 

 of reeds similar, but much inferior, to the ■' bisikati " of Iganda. 



The spear is the principal wenpon of the ^luhima. The type peculiar 

 to tills lace, and whicli is found everywhere in P]ast Central Africa where 

 thev or their influence have penetrated, has a long wooden sliaft and a 

 .spear-head witli two blood-courses on either side of tlie central rili. hi 

 this point they difiVr fmni the sjiears i)f the Hairo, which arc of iiiucli 

 ruder cbnstruction. witli a depression in the middle on one side whicli 

 answers to a ridge down the middle on the other side. Tiie accompanying 



