56 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
cuts of the grass, must somewhat discourage pursuit. 
The shields of elephant hide are large, square, and pon- 
derous. The “ terrible war-axe ” is the usual poor little 
tomahawk, more like a toy than a tool. 
After a bathe in the muddy Mbokwe, I returned to 
the village, and found it in a state of ferment. The 
Fan, like all inner African tribes, with whom fighting is 
our fox-hunting, live in a chronic state of ten days’ war, 
and can never hold themselves safe ; this is the case 
especially where the slave trade has never been heard 
of. Similarly the Ghazwah (“ Razzia”) of the Bedawin 
is for plunder, not for captives. Surprises are rare, 
because they will not march in the dark. Battles are 
not bloody ; after two or three warriors have fallen 
their corpses are dragged away to be devoured, their 
friends save themselves by flight, and the weaker side 
secures peace by paying sheep and goats. On this 
occasion the sister of a young “ brave ” had just now 
been killed and “ chopped ” by the king of Sankwi, a 
neighbouring settlement of Oshebas, and the bereaved 
brother was urging his comrades with vociferous speeches 
to “up and arm.” Usually when a man wants “war,” 
he rushes naked through his own village, cursing it as 
he goes. Moreover, during the last war Mayyaw lost 
five men to three of the enemy ; which is not fair, said 
the women, who appeared most eager for the fray. All 
the youths seized their weapons ; the huge war-drums, 
the hollowed bole of a tree fringed with Nyare hide, was 
set up in the middle of the street ; preparations for the 
week of singing and dancing which precedes a campaign 
were already in hand, and one war-man gave earnest 
of blood-shed by spearing a goat the property of Mr. 
Tippet. It being our interest that the peace should be 
kept till after my proposed trip into the interior, I 
repaired to the palaver-house and lent weight to the 
advice of my host, who urged the heroes to collect ivory, 
ebony, and rubber, and not to fight till his stores were 
filled. We concluded by carrying off the goat. After 
great excitement the warriors subsided to a calm ; it 
was broken, however, two days afterwards by the 
