572 
THE PLATTED BRACELET. — THE EAR-PLATE. 
equipage, are to be regarded merely as a display of their riches. 
The poorer Bachapins were more frequently without any personal 
decoration whatever. 
Of these two rings, the figure on the right, was taken from one 
which was presented to me by Molle?mni, the last time I saw him, and 
two months after I finally left Litakun. He took it off his arm at 
the moment of parting, and delivered it to me as a proof of his friend- 
ship. It is the only thing of the kind which, during my travels 
among the Bichuanas, I ever received gratuitously. 
The platted bracelet, shown by the middle figure, is made of the 
entrails and sinews of animals, or more rarely of bark. It is 
decorated with copper or porcelain beads, and, when new, has a large 
appendage formed by the loose ends of the plat hanging together in 
a long bunch which in time becomes much clotted by the accumu- 
lation of grease and red ochre, or sibilo. 
Amulets of various forms hang constantly round the neck of 
those who have faith in them, or who feel a necessity for their pro- 
tection ; but many persons are seen without any thing of the kind. 
The lower figure on the right represents one which has already been 
described at page 550. 
The opposite figure on the left is that of the makkda (makkow) 
or dancing-rattles, which are worn round the ankles during the time 
of dancing ; but I never on any occasion saw them made use of: in 
their nature and effect they do not differ from those used by the 
Bushmen and described at page 65. Each separate pod, which 
appears to be formed of skin, contains usually a few small pieces of 
the shell of an ostrich-egg, or little pebbles. 
The lekdaka (lakarkar) or ear-plate, is a thin plate of copper sus- 
pended from the ear in the manner shown by the engraving at 
page 433., where it is represented nearly of the largest proportion. 
Its weight is considerable, which, with its size, would render it 
a most inconvenient ornament to an}' person who had not been 
gradually accustomed to wear heavy substances in that part. It is 
suspended by means of a short piece of stick passing through the lobe 
of the ear, and to which stick it is fastened with strong gum or wax. 
