OF THE BOWS OF THE SOUMAULEE. 323 



tribes, have given somewhat of the character of the 

 Negro to the more southern Soumaulee and the 

 inland Galla. 



The bows of the Soumaulee are of the most 

 classical shape, having a central depression, between 

 two curved arms, at the extremities of w T hich, the 

 strong catgut string is fastened. Instead, as in the 

 bows best known to us, the middle portion of the 

 string being at the greatest distance from the centre, 

 in those used by the Soumaulee, this part of the 

 string actually rests upon the wood in that 

 situation, and each time the arrow is discharged, 

 strikes the back of the left thumb of the archer, 

 with great force. Thinking I should not be aware 

 of this, Ohmed Medina, as a practical joke, put 

 one of the bows into my hand, and requested me to 

 bend it ; with a very great effort I effected this, 

 but took care to let the string down gently, with 

 a knowing kind of wink, which made them all 

 laugh at seeing me up to the little trick intended. 

 The quivers were made of a long cucumber-kind 

 of gourd shell, but quite straight, with a parch- 

 ment cover, which fitted like the top of a large 

 pill-box. Inside were contained ten or twelve arrows, 

 about a foot long, made of a thin hollow reed. These 

 were each armed with a broad head of blue steel, 

 the shape and size of the ace of spades, attached 

 to a nail-like spike, one inch and a-half long, which, 

 when the arrow was to be used, was thrust into a 

 deep hole, down one extremity. The lower end 



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