664 HOME LIFE IN UNYAMWEZI. 



inner and outer walls of these abodes with long lines of ovals, 

 formed by pressing the tips of the fingers, after dipping them 

 into ashes and water for whitewash, and into red clay or black 

 mud for variety of color. With this primitive material they 

 sometimes, also, attempt rude imitations of nature — of human 

 beings and serpents. Rude carving is also attempted on the 

 massive posts at the entrance of the villages. "Within, the 

 principal article, which by its remarkable dimensions attracts 

 attention, is the bedstead. This essential of family life consists 

 of peeled tree-branches, supported by forked sticks, provided 

 with a bedding of mats and cowhide, and occupies the greater 

 portion of the room. There is a triangle of clay cones forming 

 a hearth ; this is generally placed nearly opposite the door. Of 

 other things, there are corn-bins, gourds, band-boxes, earthen 

 pots, huge ladles, pipes, grass mats, grinding-stones, and hang- 

 ing on a branching tree-trunk, standing in one corner, may be 

 seen the arms of the men." 



The family dining-hall, so pleasantly associated with the 

 visions which float around the traveller, is not an institution of 

 Unyamwezi. There is hardly a better index of social advance- 

 ment than is furnished in the manner of eating. In Unyam- 

 wezi the males and females do not eat together; even the boys 

 disdain to be seen sitting at meat with their mothers. The 

 men generally take their food in their wanza, or "club-room." 

 They are better satisfied if they have two meals a day, but they 

 are frequently necessitated to be content with one, and employ 

 the interim between meals, or between sleep and food, in chew- 

 ing tobacco when they have it, and in the event of its failure 

 resorting to clay for the necessary exercise of their jaws. For 

 this purpose they select the clay of ant-hills, which they call 

 "sweet earth." This clay-chewing, indeed, is a custom quite 

 generally prevalent on both coasts of Africa. The clay quid 

 " takes the place of the mas~tic of Chios, the kat of Yemen, the 

 betel and toasted grain of India and the farther East, and the 

 ashes of the Somali country." 



As we might expect, the Wanyamwezi are not free from those 

 prejudices in the matter of food which are so generally dis- 

 covered among savages ; but their prejudice has not been re- 

 duced to a system, as amongst the tribes of central Africa. 



