534 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXVII. 
iron ring called tc mlltedo." However, I observed 
afterwards that this young man did not wear all 
the national ornaments of his tribe ; for I saw others 
who wore in addition an iron chain round their loins, 
which is called " shushu." All these iron articles 
are very neatly made by the people of Wandala, 
Mord being only two days' march from this ; and I 
only regret that I was not able to bring some of these 
articles home as specimens of the industry of the 
natives, as well as of the excellent quality of iron 
which they possess. This young man did not wear 
the " ser," as they call it, a small reed or feather in 
the left ear. 
I delighted my youthful host by the present of a 
mirror ; and I gave a knife to his father, when he 
returned from the labour of the field. My little hut 
was not without a crowd of visitors the whole of the 
afternoon, all the friends of my host coming to see 
me. They were admitted in a regular way, five 
at a time, and behaved very decently, while they 
admired the few curious things which I had to show 
them. I was greatly amused by the simplicity of 
my young host and one of his brothers, who, when I 
presented them with small bits of sugar, gradually 
nibbled them away, and at the same time compared 
their size continually, till they were reduced to very 
diminutive morsels, when they agreed between them 
to give the remnants to a sister. 
The language of these people, which, as I have 
stated, is intimately related to that of the Batta, 
