ARCHERY. 



303 



scribed by travellers amongst the southern races. The 

 assegai resembles the spear in all points, except that the 

 head is often barbed, and it is more lightly timbered ; 

 the shaft is rarely more than four feet in length, and it 

 tapers to the thinness of a man's little finger. It is laid 

 upon the palm of the right hand, and balanced with a 

 vibratory motion till the point of equilibrium is found, 

 when it is delivered with little exertion of the muscles 

 beyond the run or spring, and as it leaves the hand it 

 is directed by the forefinger and thumb. Sometimes, 

 to obviate breaking, the assegai is made like the Indian 

 " sang," wholly of iron. 



The East African is a " good archere and a fayre." 

 The cubit-high Armiger begins as soon as he can walk 

 with miniature weapons, a cane bow and reed bird- 

 bolts tipped with wood, to practise till perfect at gourds 

 and pumpkins ; he considers himself a man when he 

 can boast of iron tips. With many races " pudor est 

 nescire sagittas." The bravest, however, the Wamasai 

 and the Wakwafi, the Warori and the Watuta, ignore 

 the practice ; with them — 



" No proof of manhood, none 

 Of daring courage, is the bow ;" 



and the Somali abandons it to his Midgan or servile. 

 The bow in East Africa is invariably what is called a 

 "self-bow," that is to say, made of a single piece, 

 and backed weapons are unknown. It is uncommonly 

 stiff, and the strongest archer would find it difficult to 

 " draw up a yard ; " of this nature probably was the 

 bow sent to Cambyses by the ^Ethiopian monarch, 

 with the taunting message that he had better not 

 attack men who could bend such weapons. When 

 straight it may measure five feet from tip to tip. It is 

 made with the same care as the spear, from a branch of 



