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before marriage. In the other parts of the country it is not so 
common. Divorce does not take place in consequence of sterility. 
There are no restraints on population. Infanticide is unknown. 
If a girl should have a child before she is married, and its father 
will not marry her, he has to pay a fine of cows to the chief of the 
village. The child belongs to the mother’s father, and when she sub- 
sequently marries it remains with him. If it should be a daughter, 
its grandfather is by no means displeased by the arrangement. 
Hair . — The Fors have fairly good heads of hair, black in colour, 
and naturally frizzled in character. The men sometimes shave 
their heads, but will never plait their hair or otherwise ornament it. 
The women dress theirs with numerous small plaits, which are 
flatly pressed down on the top of the head, and then hang loosely 
as far as the shoulders. The hair is much greased with butter, 
scented by various substances. Some of the men have beards of 
which they are very proud ; they do not shave them off, as they 
say it is wrong to make themselves look womanish. A man with 
a very long beard is very highly esteemed. The men shave the 
hair from the armpits, and from off the chest ; the women pull 
out the hairs from under the arms by the roots. The hair on the 
pubes is not removed. 
Colour . — The people are all very much of the same colour, No. 
42 and 43 of Broca’s table. They rub their bodies all over with 
butter or with castor oil. Small white patches, due to the absence 
of pigment, are occasionally met with, but are not nearly so common 
as in some other tribes ; the natives attribute these patches to 
syphilis. One celebrated hunter was affected by this malady; it 
attacked the left part of his forehead, the bridge of his nose, and 
the upper part of his cheeks. It injured bis power of smell, and 
he had in consequence to give up his place as chief hunter. The 
children are of a slightly lighter shade of colour. 
Odour . — Their odour is rather offensive, although it is to a certain 
extent masked by castor oil, or by the various scents they use to 
perfume their bodies ; still after a long march the smell from them 
is very noticeable. 
Motions . — The Fors generally sleep upon the right side, with the 
right arm bent under the head as a pillow. When standing at 
ease, they balance themselves on one leg, leaning on a spear or staff, 
