of Edinburgh, Session 1884-85. 
261 
stand outside the enclosure uttering cries to encourage her, hut all 
men are kept at a distance, and it is considered very had manners 
for a man or lad to go near a compound in which a woman is in 
labour ; the woman either leans against a wall of the hut with feet 
apart or in rare cases supports herself from a rope attached to the 
rafter. Her friends meanwhile keep up the fire, supply her with, 
beer, and from time to time rub her abdomen, and as the child is 
born they receive it and cut the cord w T ith a knife (rarely, a sharp 
stone). The cord is never tied, and if it bleeds it is held between 
the teeth. Cases of difficult labour appear to he rare, and no in- 
quiries could elicit any information of measures taken to aid delivery. 
Should it he impossible, the woman and child die, for abdominal 
section is not practised either before or after the death of the woman. 
The child is washed after birth and rubbed with oil, and then 
wrapped in damoor cloth. The woman does not bathe but is washed, 
and she then lies down near the fire ; the child is put to the breast 
as soon as the mother has been made comfortable. The woman is 
perfectly secluded for a week after the birth of the child. 
For some days before a woman expects her labour she abstains 
from meat, and during the week afterwards she is fed on thin 
porridge, and eats no meat until the feast is celebrated at which the 
child receives its name. Ho superstitious practices take place at 
the birth of a child. 
Ironwork . — Brown haematite iron is to be found in great abund- 
ance, and used to a large extent, but no flux is employed. The 
smelting furnaces are about 6 feet high ; they are conical, and have 
at the bottom a number of holes to which the draught from the 
bellows is led through clay pipes. The bellows are made of clay 
pots covered with soft skins into which a hollow stick is fastened. 
Each man works two of them, one with each hand. The ironstone 
is broken up into fragments about as large as walnuts, and these are 
placed in the furnace with charcoal in alternate layers. The iron is 
purified and shaped by long- continued hammering ; stone hammers 
and anvils are alone used. The work turned out is of a very good 
quality. 
Basketwork . — Various kinds of baskets are made, some of open 
wickerwork but others so closely woven as to hold water. The 
shapes are oval and round ; some are made with lids. The bottom 
