116 OBJECT OF THE PELELE. Chap. V. 



rambala, hung down below her chin, with, of course, 

 a piece of the upper lip around its border. The labial 

 letters cannot be properly pronounced,' but the under 

 lip has to do its best for them, against the upper teeth 

 and gum. Tell them it makes them ugly ; they had 

 better throw it away ; they reply, " Kodi ! Really ! it 

 is the fashion." How this hideous fashion originated is an 

 enigma. Can thick lips ever have been thought beautiful, 

 and this mode of artificial enlargement resorted to in con- 

 sequence? The constant twiddling of the pelele with the 

 tongue by the younger women suggested the irreverent 

 idea that it might have been invented to give safe employ- 

 ment to that little member. " Why do the women wear 

 these things ?" we inquired of the old Chief, Chinsunse. 

 Evidently surprised at such a stupid question, he replied, 

 " For beauty, to be sure ! Men have beards and whiskers ; 

 women have none ; and what kind of creature would a woman 

 be without whiskers, and without the pelele ? She would 

 have a mouth like a man, and no beard ; ha ! ha ! ha ! " 

 Afterwards on the Rovuma, we found men wearing the 

 pelele, as well as women. An idea suggested itself on 

 seeing the effects of the slight but constant pressure ex- 

 erted on the upper gum and front teeth, of which our 

 medical brethren will judge the value. In many cases the 

 upper front teeth, instead of the natural curve outwards, 

 which the row presents, had been pressed so as to aj)pear as 

 if the line of alveoli in which they were planted had an 

 inward curve. As this was produced by the slight pressure 

 of the pelele backwards, persons with too prominent teeth 

 might by slight, but long-continued pressure, by some appli- 

 ance only as elastic as the lip, have the upper gum and teeth 

 depressed, especially in youth, more easily than is usually 



