HAIR-DRESSING EXTRAORDINARY. 5 21 



little forward, giving it somewhat the appearance of a 

 helmet. Some have only a cone, four or five inches in 

 diameter at the base. It is said that the hair of animals 

 is added, but the sides of the cone are woven something 

 like basket-work. The headman of this village, instead 

 of having his brought to a point, had it prolonged into a 

 wand, which extended a full yard from the crown of his 

 head. The hair on the forehead, above the ears, and 

 behind, is all shaven off, so they appear somewhat as if 

 a cap of liberty were cocked upon the top of the head. 

 After the weaving is performed it is said to be painful, as 

 the scalp is drawn tightly up ; but they become used to it. 

 Monze informed me that all his people were formerly orna- 

 mented in this way. but he discouraged it. I wished him 

 to discourage the practice of knocking out the teeth, too, 

 but he smiled, as if in that case the fashion would be too 

 strong for him, as it was for Sebituane. 



Monze came on Monday morning, and, on parting, 

 presented us with a piece of a buffalo which had been 

 killed the day before by lions. We crossed the rivulet 

 Makoe, which runs westward into the Kafue, and went 

 northwards in order to visit Semalembue, an influential 

 chief there. We slept at the village of Monze's sister, 

 who also passes by the same name. Both he and his 

 sister are feminine in their appearance, but disfigured by 

 the foolish custom of knocking out the upper front teeth. 



It is not often that jail-birds turn out well, but the 

 first person who appeared to welcome us at the village of 

 Monze's sister, was the prisoner we had released in the 

 way. He came with a handsome present of corn and 

 meal, and, after praising our kindness to the villagers 

 who had assembled around us, asked them, " What do you 

 stand gazing at ? don't you know that they have mouths 

 like other people ? " He then set off and brought large 

 bundles of grass and wood for our comfort, and a pot to 

 cook our food in. 



December 12th. — The morning presented the appearance 

 of a continuous rain from the north, the first time we had 

 seen it set in from that quarter in such a southern latitude. 

 In the Bechuana country, continuous rains are always 

 from the north-east or east, while in Londa and Angola 

 they are from the north. At Pungo Andongo, for instance, 

 the whitewash is all removed from the north side of the 

 houses. It cleared up, however, about midday, and 



