The Garenganze Kingdom and People. 239 
deeper than 15 or 20 feet. They have no lateral workings, but 
when one shaft becomes too deep for them, they leave it and 
open another. 
Other families are given to the working of iron. The iron 
ore is smelted in a very simple way. Large trenches are dug in 
the ground, and having been filled with iron ore and charcoal, are 
afterwards covered with soft mud, openings being left at both 
ends. The fire is lit at one end, and boys are employed to 
blow little bellows night and day, so as to produce a current of 
air, and keep up the fire. After several days the trench is 
broken open, and the reduced metal taken out 
They manufacture this iron into hoes, axe-heads, spears, knives, 
and bullets. Some of the iron workers are most ingenious men ; 
they can repair all the parts of a gun, and can make, besides 
numerous other things, " correntes " — long heavy chains for tying 
slaves together. I broke a little camp bedstead close to one of 
its joints, and upon calling in one of these men to help, he put in 
an entirely new piece, and of such good metal that it was the 
strongest part about the bedstead. 
The right of fishing in the rivers is also confined to certain 
families, who, however, are generally looked down upon by 
others, as fish is by many African tribes considered unclean 
food. 
These fishermen catch large quantities of barbel, which are 
very good for food when dried in the sun. They are chiefly 
caught in long baskets with inverted bottoms, or by spearing, at 
which they are very dexterous. Why fish should be unclean 
in the sight of certain tribes is a mystery to me, as generally 
these people are found to be capable of eating almost anything 
else. When pressed for a reason such men have told me that 
it is because fish is slippery, and would sicken them. They 
have often given me the same reason for not eating the flesh 
of young animals. I doubt not, however, that their antipathies 
in these matters must be traced to early traditions. 
MSIDI'S SALT-PAN. HUMAN SACRIFICES. 
The gathering of salt is carried on in the district, and this 
forms one staple article of trade. Msidi possesses a large 
salt-pan, from which during the dry season a great quantity of 
