348 KNOCKING OUT FRONT TEETH. Chap. XXVI. 



a boy of about ton years. Re went again, and returned when 

 it was time to knock out bis son's teeth. As this takes place 

 at the age of puberty, he must have spent at least five years 

 in each journey. He added that many who went there never 

 returned, because they liked that country better than this 

 This was the first intimation we had of intercourse with the 

 whites. The Barotse, and all the other tribes in the central 

 valley, have no such tradition as this ; nor have either the one 

 or the other any account of a trader's visit to them in ancient 

 times. 



All the Batoka tribes follow the curious custom of knock- 

 ing out the upper front teeth at the age of puberty. This 

 is done by both sexes, and, though the effect of it is that 

 the under lip protrudes in a most unsightly way, no young 

 woman thinks herself acccomplished until she has got rid of 

 the upper incisors. This custom gives all the Batoka an 

 uncouth, old-man like appearance, and renders their laugh 

 hideous ; yet they are so attached to it, that even Sebituane 

 was unable to eradicate the practice. In spite of his orders 

 that none of the children living under him should be subjected 

 to the custom by their parents, they still appeared in the 

 streets without their incisors, and no one would confess to the 

 deed. The only reason that the Batoka gave for this practice 

 was that they wished to look like oxen, and not like zebras. 

 Whether this was the true reason or not, it is difficult to say ; 

 but it is noticeable that the veneration for oxen which prevails 

 in many tribes should here be associated with hatred to the 

 zebra, as among the Bakwains, and that this operation should 

 be performed at the same age that circumcision is in other 

 tribes, and in countries where the latter ceremony is unknown. 

 The custom is so universal that a person who has his teeth is 

 considered ugly, and occasionally, when the Batoka borrowed 

 my looking-glass, the disparaging remark would be made 

 respecting boys or girls who still retained their teeth, " Look 

 at the great teeth !" 



The Batoka of the Zambesi are generally very dark in 

 colour, while those who live on the high lands are frequently 

 of a lighter hue. They are very degraded in their appearance, 

 and are not likely to improve, either physically or mentally, 

 while so much addicted to smoking the mutokwane {Cannabis 



