DISAPPOINTMENTS 
erass. Each strap is about 3 inches wide, and is 
formed of nine parallel rows of teeth. ‘The strap that 
rests on the left shoulder passes under the right arm- 
pit; that over the right shoulder passes outside the 
left arm above the elbow. ‘The straps are lightly 
fastened at the point where they cross the breast. 
Round the right arm, just above the elbow, they wear 
a curious armlet. In the case of the richer tribesmen 
this is of shell, decorated with grass, or of grass deco- 
rated with shell. The breadth is from 5 to 6 inches. 
On the stomach to the right are two or three hori- 
zontal scars made by cutting or burning. ‘These are 
self-inflicted for superstitious reasons. ‘The lower part 
of the stomach is tightly drawn in (often extremely 
tight) with a coil of finely plaited fibre. This seems 
to be worn for elegance alone, and tight-lacing is a 
ruling fashion among the Tugeri dandies: the tighter 
the lacing the greater the dandy. From fifteen to 
sixteen years of age the young men are hopeless 
victims to fashion. The Tugeri go barefoot, but wear 
grass anklets adorned with shells, which rattle like 
castanets as they walk. I observed, however, no 
dances, although these, I understand, are performed 
in their villages. For decency’s sake they wear a 
shell after the manner of the statuesque fig-leaf, and 
their costume is completed by a necklace of dogs’ 
teeth and small pieces of bone, such treasures as a 
savage prizes. 
Despite the natural ferocity of the Tugeri, the tribe 
is not without some rudimentary notions of courtesy, 
and they paid the Dutch on their arrival a similar 
compliment to that paid to Captain Cook, that is to 
50 
