226 
AMUSEMENTS. 
which food is most abundant, and invitations are 
issued by the proprietors of these districts, to their 
relations and friends to accompany them thither. 
The position of one tribe towards another, whether 
on friendly terms or otherwise, is talked about, and 
consultations are held on the existing state of affairs, 
whether hostilities shall be continued or withdrawn, 
and future plans of operation are marked out. 
Whilst the men are occupied in discussing these 
matters, the females engage in a narration of family 
occurrences, such as births of children, marriages, 
deaths, &c., not omitting a sprinkling of gossip and 
scandal, from which, even these ebon sisters of a 
fairer race, are not altogether exempt. 
In the evening, the huts of the different tribes are 
built as near to each other as practicable, each tribe 
locating itself in the direction from whence it 
came. The size and character of the huts, with the 
number of their occupants, vary according to the 
state of the weather, and the local circumstances of 
their position. In fine weather, one hut will contain 
from two to five families, in wet weather more, each 
family however having a separate fire. 
The amusements of the natives are various, but 
they generally have a reference to their future occu- 
pations or pursuits. Boys who are very young, 
have small reed spears made for them by their 
parents, the ends of which are padded with grass, 
to prevent them from hurting each other. They 
then stand at a little distance, and engage in a mimic 
