330 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXI. 
be seen exhibiting their original native costume, the 
greatest ornament of which is the head-dress, while 
the body itself, with the exception of a tight leathern 
apron, or " fiino," is left naked. This is a remarkable 
peculiarity of costume, which seems to prevail among 
almost all barbarous tribes. The original head-dress 
of the Sugiirti, that is to say, of the head men of 
the tribe, consists of four different articles : first the 
" joka," or cap, rather stiff, and widening at the top, 
where the second article, the " ariyabu " (aliyafu), is 
tied round it ; from the midst of the folds of the ari- 
yabu, just over the front of the head, the "miillefu" 
stands forth, a piece of red cloth, stiffened, as it seems, 
by a piece of leather from behind ; and all round the 
crown of the head a bristling crown of reeds rises 
with barbaric majesty to a height of about eight 
inches. Round his neck he wears a tight string of 
white beads, or " kuliilu," and hanging down upon 
the breast, several small leather pockets, containing 
written charms or laya, while his right arm is orna- 
mented with three rings, one on the upper arm, called 
" wiwi or bibi," one made of ivory, and called " chila," 
above the elbow, and another, called " kiillo," just 
above the wrist. The shields of the Sugiirti, at least 
most of them, are broad at the top as well as at the 
base, and besides his large spear or kasakka, he is 
always armed with three or four javelins, " ballem." 
But besides the Sugiirti there happened to be just 
then present in the village some Biidduma, handsome, 
slender, and intelligent people, their whole attire con- 
