EVENING PARTIES. 663 



she has sold her milk to the white man ; another of what hap- 

 pened in the field while she was hoeing ; another how her mas- 

 ter has not yet returned from the capital, whither he has gone 

 to sell grain." He does not say that they invade the saeredness 

 of their neighbor's affairs, or retail magnified stories of another's 

 peccadilloes; possibly he wrote charitably, possibly he was im- 

 perfectly informed, possibly those things were said in an under- 

 tone, and possibly slander is an accomplishment of civilization ; 

 all things are possible. 



But the weaker sex cannot boast a monopoly of vanity or 

 social gossip in Unyamwezi any more than they can elsewhere. 

 The most elaborate impersonation of civilized foppishness, whose 

 unctuous locks and waxened labial down have taxed the skill 

 of masters in the tonsorial art, would grind his teeth in envy at 

 the sight of one of those tall dusky odoriferous gallants of Un- 

 yamwezi tossing his proud head, adorned with a fringe of jetty 

 woolly ringlets. And every village has its public room which 

 corresponds to the popular club-rooms of nearer regions, a sort 

 of gentlemen's "gossip institute," where "things in general" 

 are discussed with startling acumen, as men are wont to discuss 

 " things in general " in civilized communities. During idle 

 times, and it is seldom there are busy times, they smoke (what 

 would a club-room be without smoke ?) and sit on their heels- — 

 they have not learned the art of putting them above their heads 

 yet: civilization will modify their use of these members — they 

 sit on their heels now and smoke in idle times, and discuss the 

 same matters perhaps as have occupied their wives and daugh- 

 ters. While they talk one sharpens his spear-head, another 

 makes an axe-helve, or decorates his sword. They talk politics, 

 men would die if they didn't, and the daily news: that too is 

 manly. But the witness does not hint that they so far forget 

 themselves as to descant on the improprieties of Mrs. this, or 

 Miss that, or chuckle over the misfortunes of Neighbor some- 

 body. Civilization seems to have a monopoly of that sort of 

 thing. 



The home life of these people is to be found in the tembe. 

 Among the poorer tribes this dwelling is only a stack of straw, 

 but the better sort of tembe has large projecting eaves supported 

 by uprights. " Having no limestone, the people ornament the 



