Chap. XIY. CONSTRUCTION OF HUTS. 293 - 



The ancient costume of the Makololo consisted of the 

 skin of a lamb, kid, jackal, ocelot, or other small animal, 

 worn round and below the loins: and in cold weather a 

 kaross, or skin mantle, was thrown over the shoulders. The 

 kaross is now laid aside, and the young men of fashion wear 

 a monkey-jacket and a skin round the hips ; but no trousers, 

 waistcoat, or shirt. The river and lake tribes are in general 

 very cleanly, bathing several times a day. The Makololo 

 women use water rather sparingly, rubbing themselves with 

 melted butter instead : this keeps off parasites, but gives their 

 clothes a rancid odour. One stage of civilization often leads 

 of necessity to another — the possession of clothes creates a 

 demand for soap ; give a man a needle, and he is soon back 

 to you for thread. 



This being a time of mourning, on account of the illness of 

 the Chief, the men were negligent of their persons, they did not 

 cut their hair, or have merry dances, or carry spear and shield 

 when they walked abroad. The wife of Pitsane was busy 

 making a large hut, while we were in the town : she informed 

 us that the men left house-building entirely to the women 

 and servants. A round tower of stakes and reeds, nine or 

 ten feet high, is raised and plastered ; a floor is next made 

 of soft tufa, or ant-hill material and cowdung. This plaster 

 prevents the poisonous insects, called tampans, whose bite 

 causes fever in some, and painful sores in all, from harbour- 

 ing in the cracks or soil. The roof, which is much larger 

 in diameter than the tower, is made on the ground, and 

 then, many persons assisting, lifted up and placed on the 

 tower, and thatched. A plastered reed fence is next built 

 up to meet the outer part of the roof, which still projects a 

 little over this fence, and a space of three feet remains be- 

 tween it and the tower. We slept in this space, instead 

 of in the tower, as the inner door of the hut we occupied 



