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GAME-NETTING IN UZIGUA 
The Wazigua are a decadent race, whose young men are 
too lazy to participate even in this popular form of hunting, 
which means for them a greatly desired addition of meat to 
their eternal ugali (mealie porridge). 
The natives present had collected from nine villages, 
scattered over some twenty square miles of country round the 
boma, and from each village two or three old men had brought 
their nets. These nets are of a large mesh, about three inches, 
and very well made of a string twisted out of the fibrous bark 
of a small tree, which grows everywhere throughout this bush 
country. In length the nets vary from six to fifteen yards, and 
are about four feet high. To each net is hung several charms, 
in the form of small pieces of wood wrapped in goat-hide, and 
of course these possess power to draw the quarry to the net. 
It is common, also, to sprinkle blood of captured paa on the 
nets, as the net-owners maintain that it attracts the game. 
Virgin bush is generally avoided, and operations confined 
to the barati or bush grown up on land cultivated four or 
five years ago and then abandoned. The barati is not so 
dense as untouched bush, and the paa certainly seem to 
prefer it. 
Absolute silence is kept on approaching the ground to be 
driven over. The net-owners, carrying their nets coiled on 
the left arm, file out rapidly from a given point and hang the 
nets in a rough but continuous semicircle, using any twig or 
thorn for their support ; when no suitable support presents 
itself, a quick cut with a knife into the bark of a stem at 
the desired height from the ground provides a niche for the 
string. 
It is necessary to work as quickly and silently as possible, 
as the paa are most shy and wary, leaving the place immediately 
on hearing a noise. So skilfully and fast do the old men work, 
that I saw a semicircle of net over 150 yards in length laid 
out under four minutes. 
While the net-owners are at work, the remainder of the 
party divides into two lots, which station themselves one at 
each end of the net line; then, joined by about half of the 
net-owners themselves, they extend at a run inwards in a 
semicircle and commence to drive. 
