202 
THE NEW AFRICA 
is a widely distributed habit throughout South Africa amongst 
the natives. The curved horn that forms the base of the pipe 
is generally filled with water to above the point of connection 
with the reed at whose top the clay bowl is situated, into which 
the dried insangu leaves are stuffed much after the manner of 
tobacco in a pipe. When lighted with a coal, the smoker curls 
his hands up into a mouthpiece at the opening of the horn in 
such a manner as to bar the ingress of outside air into the 
channel; and taking about a tablespoonful of pure water into his 
mouth, he inhales deeply at the pipe, thus draining the smoke 
from the bowl down the reed through the water in the horn; 
from which it emerges in lively bubbles to be inhaled full into 
the lungs with two or three mighty draws, between which the 
smoker exhales the smoke each time, until he takes the last 
draw, which he retains in the lung while he passes the pipe to 
his neighbour. The absorption of this alkaloid from the smoke 
in the lung seems to produce intense transient excitement of 
the brain causing the smoker to burst out into vaunting speech, 
rapidly uttered and interspersed with long-drawn yells of a 
most blood-curdling nature. His eyes roll wildly, and in these 
moments of exultation the rapidly working brain conceives 
wild ideas not infrequently put into execution later. To the 
effect of this smoke may be attributed many of the horrible 
crimes occasionally perpetrated by the natives. It is for this 
reason that the Whites who have natives in their employ 
on the plantations in Natal entirely prohibit the use of this 
