CHIEFS' WIVES. 
121 
of caste. The suite were tall^ high-shouldered^ spare men : their 
bodies were covered with ashes. The style of dressing the hair was 
varied : some had it plastered with a coating of mud^ elongated at 
the nape of the neck ; others had this paste without the point ; 
some allowed the hair in its natural state to be seen ; whilst others 
resorted to the artifical colouring. They were all ugly, and when 
walking turned the foot inwards, whilst they ran with incredible 
swiftness. Our men, in the absence of Petherick, said that they 
required firewood j three of the negroes raced to the village to get 
some, returning rapidly with it, which they bartered for beads. 
A wife of the chief of the blue robe soon arrived, accompanied by 
one of the wives of the old chief. Her hair was short, curling 
naturally, and it was unstained. She carried her clothing on her 
arm — a goat-skin ; but when seated on deck, she .fastened this in 
front of her ; a small rachat of grass was worn round her loins, 
copper bracelets on the arms, and beads on the neck. She was young 
and good-looking. Her companion wore a long grass rachat from 
the loins, descending half-way to the knee. Her figure was fine 
and supple. Petherick was now in sight, banging away at the 
birds, his attendants picking them up as they fell ; the negro 
visitors sat silently watching the success which generally followed 
the discharge of his gun. Ere he could reach the boat, a magnifi- 
cently formed young woman stepped on board, the second wife of 
the chief who wore the panther-skin ; she brought to her husband 
his pipe. Her dress was simply a straw rachat descending from the 
waist to the knees ; beads hung in profusion round her neck, com- 
pletely covering her bosom ; many iron bracelets, brightly polished, 
encircled her arms, and similar adornments were worn round the 
ankles. Her hair was in short crisp curls, which clung closely to 
her well-shaped head. She tormented and made jealous her husband 
