312 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



allowed to run through the fuel. The blast is produced 

 by mafukutu (bellows) : they are two roughly rounded 

 troughs, about three inches deep by six in diameter, 

 hewn out of a single bit of wood and prolonged into a 

 pair of parallel branches, pierced for the passage of the 

 wind through two apertures in the walls of the troughs. 

 The troughs are covered with skin, to which are fixed 

 two long projecting sticks for handles, which may be 

 worked by a man sitting. A stone is placed upon the 

 bellows for steadiness, and clay nozzles, or holcus-canes 

 with a lateral hole, are fixed on to the branches to pre- 

 vent them from charring. Sometimes as many as five 

 pairs are worked at once, and great is the rapidity re- 

 quired to secure a continuous outdraught. Mr. Anders- 

 son ("Lake Ngami," chap, xvi.) gives a sketch of a 

 similar contrivance amongst the South Africans: the 

 clay-tubes, however, are somewhat larger than those 

 used in Unyamwezi by " blacksmiths at work." The 

 ore is melted and remelted several times, till pure ; tem- 

 pering and case-hardening are unknown, and it is stored 

 for use by being cast in clay-moulds, or made up into 

 hoes. The hammer and anvil are generally smooth 

 stones. The principal articles of ironmongery are 

 spears, assegais, and arrow-heads, battle-axes, hatchets, 

 and adzes, knives and daggers, sickles and razors, rings 

 and sambo, or wire circlets. The kinda is a large bell, 

 hung by the ivory-porter to his tusk on the line of the 

 march : the kengere or kiugi a smaller variety which he 

 fastens to his legs. Pipes, with iron bowls and stems, 

 are made by the more ingenious, and the smoker manu- 

 factures for himself small pincers or pliers which, curious 

 to say, are unknown even by name to the more civilised 

 people of Zanzibar. 



Copper is not found upon this line in East Africa. 



