CHAP. III. INTOXICATION OF THE MANGANJA. 85 



ployment to that little member. "Why do the women 

 wear these things ? " we inquired of the old chief, Chin- 

 sunse. 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 exerted 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 appear 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 a but long- 

 continued pressure, by some appliance only as elastic as 

 the lip, have the upper gum and teeth depressed, especially 

 in youth, more easily than is usually imagined. The 

 pressure should be applied to the upper gum more than 

 to the teeth. 



The Manganja are not a sober people : they brew large 

 quantities of beer, and like it well. Having no hops, or 

 other means of checking fermentation, they are obliged to 

 drink the whole brew in a few days, or it becomes unfit 

 for use. Great merry-makings take place on these occa- 

 sions, and drinking, drumming, and dancing continue day 

 and night, till the beer is gone. In crossing the hills 

 we sometimes found whole villages enjoying this kind of 

 mirth. The veteran traveller of the party remarked, that 

 he had not seen so much drunkenness during all the six- 

 teen years he had spent in Africa. As we entered a 

 village one afternoon, not a man was to be seen ; but some 



