AFRICA. 189 
circumftance of a fcene, which was equally- 
new to me as well as to thefe favages. 
The Caftres forge and fabricate their own 
aflagay ; but, as they are not acquainted with 
any of the properties of iron except its mal- 
leability, their art does not extend fo far as 
to caft it ; and on this account they muft 
have that which has been already wrought. 
They are wonderfully expert in applying to 
their own purpofes old gun-barrels, hoops, 
and other pieces of iron. Their affagays are 
of two kinds: in one the handle is entirely 
of iron, and perfedlly round 3 the other, 
which is more fkilfully, I ought rather to 
fay cruelly, formed, has a fquare handle, and 
two of the angles are full of notches inclin- 
ing downwards, whilft thofe of the two al- 
ternate ones incline in a contrary direction ^ 
which occafions a dreadful laceration in the 
fle(h, whether they enter the body or are ex- 
tradled from it. Their patience cannot fail 
to excite admiration, when one thinks that 
with a block of granite, or even common 
rock, which ferves them for an anvil, and 
a piece of the fame fubftance for a hammer, 
they fabricate arms as well finiflied as if they 
had come from the hands of the moft ficil-/ 
ful 
